Thinking About Cyber Security
Speaking last April before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, FBI Assistant Director Gordon M. Snow stated that the number and sophistication of cyber attacks has increased dramatically over the past five years and he expected this trend to continue to grow.
"The threat has reached the point that given enough time, motivation, and funding, a determined adversary will likely be able to penetrate any system that is accessible directly from the Internet," Snow said. "It is difficult to state with confidence that our critical infrastructure - the backbone of our country's economic prosperity, national security, and public health - will remain unscathed and always be available when needed."
This very real threat is why October is designated National Cyber Security Awareness Month.Howard Schmidt, the White House's cyber security coordinator, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano attended the Michigan Cyber Summit 2011 earlier this month.
"From the kitchen table to the classroom, from business transactions to essential government operations and services, cyber security is an issue that touches all of us," said Napolitano. "By taking a few basic steps to keep yourself and your family safe online, we can all work together to create a safe, secure, and resilient cyber environment."
Napolitano spoke of the importance of engaging government, law enforcement, the private sector and members of the public in protecting America's critical cyber infrastructure and creating a safe and secure cyber environment. She noted that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expanded their "Stop. Think. Connect" campaign, which is a year-round national public awareness effort to engage and challenge Americans to practice and promote safe online practices.
Below are a couple of the threats identified by DHS and some tips you can use:
Identity Theft is the illegal use of someone else's personal information in order to obtain money or credit.
Tips: Lock and password protect your computer and cell phone. Don't share specific personal information online, such as your full name or birthday. Set proper privacy settings on social networking sites.
Fraud and Phishing is the intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right. Phishing is a scam by which an email user is duped into revealing personal or confidential information that the scammer can use illicitly or fraudulently. Fraud and phishing attacks may take the form of an authentic-looking website or a personalized email.
Tips: Turn off the option to automatically download attachments. Save and scan any attachments before opening them. Before you provide any kind of information, call and verify with the source that they are indeed the ones who sent the email.
"No country, no industry, no community and no individual is immune to risk in cyberspace and we all have a role in securing it," Schmidt said. "That's why the overarching theme for this year's National Cyber Security Awareness Month is "Our Shared Responsibility."
