#Middlebury #Cybersecurity
By JUSTIN GOLDEN
Vinton Cerf, a scientist credited as one of the “fathers of Internet, said, “The wonderful thing about the Internet is that you’re connected to everyone else. The terrible thing about the Internet is that you’re connected to everyone else.” Cerf, along with Bob Kahn, an electrical engineer, first proposed the Transmission Control Protocol and the Internet Protocol that are the fundamental communication protocols at the heart of the Internet.
The Internet is a global system of interconnected networks that enables us to communicate from our devices to any others through all those networks. It has transformed how we interact, conduct business, educate, and entertain ourselves.
With the myriad advancements in utilizing this technology, there has been a significant reduction in the time we need to spend connecting and our ability to converse, ranging from locally to internationally instantly.
While the use of the Internet has significantly increased the amount of interaction among individuals, businesses, institutions, government, and entertainment, bad actors are increasingly utilizing it to spoof legitimate communication to steal our identities or money and to convince us to act on their behalf.
The threat landscape is evolving as the cyber attackers, whether individuals, organizations or nation states, continue to monitor what is working tactically and what is not along with government efforts to stop them and mitigate their tactics. The Cyber Readiness Institute empowers individuals, organizations, associations and small & medium-sized enterprises with tools and resources to assist them to become more cyber secure and resilient.
What should you do now?
Use strong passwords or better yet, use passphrases. A passphrase is a random thought that forms a sentence, is not common and only you would know. An example is Myfavoritefoodisxxxx. Make it at least 15 characters or more.
Do not use the same passwords or passphrases for business and personal use. Create separate, distinct ones for each application.
Use multi-factor authentication, commonly used now in banking and credit card applications. This is a way to confirm your identity and reduces the likelihood of being hacked. It is easy to set up.
Phishing is an attack delivered via electronic communication, e.g., email, text, or voicemail. The goal is to use your account by gaining access, taking control of your personal data, or hijacking your computer. Beware of emails with suspicious email addresses, emails from people you do not know or have not communicated with before, broken English, misspellings, and requests for sensitive data. These attempts are the most common type of cyber-attacks according to the FBI Internet Crime report.
Periodically, you are asked to enable updates for your computer and smartphone. These are the easiest and most critical readiness measures you can take as they install the newest versions of the software and applications you are using. Turn on auto-update notifications. Do not ignore the update notifications. Also check your third-party applications for updates.
Lastly, be careful using USB (Universal Serial Bus) drives. Do not use them unless you created them or trust the creator. If you use them, check for malware (malicious software) first.
Golden Technology Services Inc. helps customers increase their cybersecurity awareness so they can reduce their online risk. Contact them at 972-679-9738 or justin.golden@gtscloud.com.
