A new day, a new hack. This time, the victim is none other than social media mogul Mark Zuckerberg. The criminals notified Zuckerberg by sending a tweet from his own account. It read, “We are just testing your security.” Cute, huh? Yeah, I don’t think so either.
IF WE DON’T START TAKING CARE OF THE BASICS, OUR BIG IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE WON’T MATTER.
Our connected world begs a bright future – one where we see every person in the world having internet access by 2020. As a matter of fact, Zuckerberg, along with Bill Gates, are heavyweights behind this United Nations effort. Can you imagine? The internet changes lives and gives people better opportunities. Zuckerberg wrote, “For every 10 people connected to the web, roughly one is lifted out of poverty.” These are big ideas that get me fired up.
But, there is a catch. If our connected world isn’t SAFE, we won’t reach our full potential. Our effort to rid this world of poverty won’t happen in our lifetimes. The many possibilities that our connected world offers all hinge on one critical thing: CYBERSECURITY.
Cisco estimates that by 2020, we will have 50 billion devices connected to the internet. That’s more than double the amount we have today, and companies are struggling to keep up. The cybersecurity industry faces a global deficit of 1.5 million jobs by 2020, according to the 2015 Global Information Security Workforce Study.
At the same time, we could make progress on our global fight against hackers if companies shared what they learned when they were breached, but nobody wants to expose their risks and be penalized for it. Look to the public sector and you’ll find many complicated questions. Should we invade personal privacy to protect our nation? We have police for physical crime, but who is responsible for fighting digital crime? We want companies to share intelligence, but how should they be penalized for not having adequate security controls? This environment has helped hackers get faster and smarter by the minute.
ALL THE WHILE, WE HAVE BECOME OUR OWN BIGGEST THREAT.
Every single one of us thinks passwords are a pain in the a$$. But what is the leading cause of data breaches today? NEGLIGENT INSIDERS! Hackers keep breaching systems using stolen credentials. In fact, that’s the case for one of the biggest breaches we’ve recently seen. The cost estimates are now reaching as high as $16 billion dollars. I sure wish I had a GIF of Dr. Evil saying that here for more impact, but I digress.
“Every single one of us thinks passwords are a pain in the a$$.”
The thieves used an employee’s password and stole customer data. That stolen data turned into a long list of expenses: investigations, notifications to every customer, lawsuits, regulatory fines… and who really knows the cost of lost business they suffered in the long run. What if it could have all been prevented? Hindsight is 20/20, but we sure have some big lessons learned for our future digital lives here.
IF SMALL STEPS ARE TAKEN NOW, WE CAN ELIMINATE OURSELVES AS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO CYBERSECURITY.
We already have enough to fight, with sophisticated hackers pulling together across the world. Let’s take small steps to remove ourselves as the biggest threat in cybersecurity.
Just like companies have data stolen and it snowballs into a massive problem, that scenario can happen to you, too. Your social media account was hacked. So what? I am here to tell you it matters – a lot. The criminals use that same password to get into your bank. Then your funds disappear. If they are sly, they’ll siphon off small amounts over time so you’re less likely to notice. And your credit rating will decline because they open multiple credit cards in your name, buy up to the limit, and never pay the bills. Then they infiltrate your family’s accounts by triangulating the data they’ve found. All your pictures stored in the cloud and long-held email accounts become inaccessible, unless you pay a ransom. Even then, you’re out of luck. It happens all the time.
Start being cyber aware TODAY. Save yourself the time, heartache, and expense of a hack.
HERE ARE FIVE SMALL THINGS YOU CAN DO FOR BIG IMPACT ON YOUR SAFETY.
1. GET SECURITY AND KEEP IT UPDATED.
This one is simple: Having the latest security and operating system is the best defense against threats.
2. CREATE STRONG PASSWORDS AND USE TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION.
When people read stories in the media, it’s often detailing the sophisticated nature of attacks, and it makes people feel hopeless. But that’s far from reality. People can make a big difference by creating strong passwords, using a password manager, and activating two-factor authentication.
3. DO NOT OPEN OR CLICK SUSPICIOUS EMAILS AND LINKS.
Hackers are finding very creative ways to ask for your information. An email asking you to click a link or open an attachment might look like it’s from your boss or even your mom. But if their request gives you pause, pick up the phone and ask the “sender” if they really sent it. You’ll be glad you did… especially when they say, “No?!”
4. BROWSE AND SHOP SAFELY.
There are tools out there that will notify you if a website is suspicious. This has saved me a few times. The site looks completely legit. It’s stamped with many official-looking seals of business approval, but it’s a fake site set up to capture your information. Let a security tool tell you when you accidentally land on these sites so you don’t have to play a guessing game with your safety.
5. BE CAREFUL ABOUT ALL THOSE APPS YOU DOWNLOAD SO QUICKLY.
Did you know the majority of apps can talk to each other? It’s called collusion and there are many types of attacks that happen that way. Only download apps you know have been tried, tested, and are completely legit.
Now over to you, because we are all in this together. Let me know your best tips for staying safe.