Not a day goes by that we are not, in one fashion or another, dinged by either too much or not enough security within our digital world. The sad part is, most of the fault for getting hacked and taken advantage is our own doing, yet we really don't want to admit we could be so foolish. Face it, most people hate to admit they're wrong.
'Fess up, already.
Astounding as it may seem here in 2024, when there's a new cyberattack every hour of every day, we just don't care enough to take the simple steps to protect everything from our social media identity to banking transactions where we can be financially wiped out in no time.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and despite best efforts to convince the general population how lazy and ineffective they truly are when it comes to simple protections, most people either aren't paying attention to the four simple acts that could save their digital lives, or have a hankering to be made a fool of and see everything they've worked to build wiped out.
Funny thing is, every one of these four directives are loaded with common sense and couldn't be more simple.
ONE: Create and learn a better password than sequential numbers, your birthday, your shoe size or anything else the really good hackers can compromise in about 8 seconds. Not only are some of the most hackable words still in use around the world by smart people who should know better, almost half of Americans will have or already been the victim of watching as their passwords get stolen by the crooks who know a Hell of a lot more about stealing such things than you do, but in the UK the government is so fed up with the level of carelessness from their own citizens, (including businesses who also should know better), that they've already taken steps to outlaw the use of weak passwords. A fine example of the need for a "Big Brother" because, again, most people don't care enough to do the minimum best at saving their on digital lives.
You didn't think it was a big deal, and you became apathetic in protecting yourself. Whom do you blame? Stop looking away from the screen.
TWO: Prove who you are in more ways than one. Stop being so scared of multi-factor authentication.
I swear, it's as if people are frightened of this simple step. Sure, it may take a few more seconds, but our current form of communicating about everything on our phone couldn't make it any easier. While some cloud based companies are making it mandatory in order to protect all that data, the cold-hard fact is this, by itself, is not infallible. Hackers are usually steps ahead of the game, and they are already deep on the case to confound this manner of security.
Bottom line is using multi-factor authentication is not foolproof, but it is another step in making it more difficult for anyone to steal your data. All it takes is a little time and effort, which you'll be cursing about at yourself when, not if, something gets hacked and pirated.
THREE: Step thinking that "phishing" is what you do from a boat, and learn not just what it is but how to recognize it.
Phishing is basically when the hacker, troll or miscreant pretends to be someone else or someone from a major company, contacts you with something you have to address RIGHT NOW OR ALL WILL BE LOST, and then steals your information right from your own lips or fingers. In almost every instance, the "mark", (that's what the crooks call the gullible who fall for such nonsense), readily and willingly clicks on a link that is destined to begin the theft process, downloads something that will immediately infect your system, or be so taken in by that voice on the phone that "MUST BE THE REAL THING", you're handing over your bank account numbers so fast you won't have time to stop the draining of every cent you have.
Sound frightening? Damn right it is. And it is imminently preventable if you just take a breath and don't get caught in the hype.
Voting scams are going to be all the rage in every election cycle. Impersonating police is one of the most used methods of scamming, and more than just senior citizens are falling for it. Music concerts and such events make easy prey for the scammers, as witnessed with the news that within minutes after Oasis tickets went on sale for their reunion shows, people were falling for the scams like dead flies.
Learn what phishing is, how to recognize it, and thus how to avoid it. Again, it doesn't take long at all to understand what's going on, it's not rocket science, and you can avoid it ever happening to you.
However, you have to make the effort, or the phishers will hook you and reel in everything you've got.
FOUR: Makes no difference if its Windows or MAC, stop using old software.
Yes, sometimes it's a pain in the derriere that you can no longer use certain programs you've become accustomed to. But the bad guy are out there every day infiltrating the code of older software and finding ways to corrupt your systems. From desktops to laptops. From Android to IPhone. From the apps that haven't been updated in a year to the one you've had for a month, all of these are vulnerable.
This is the one that takes the most time, but if you're going to be part of the digital age, you need to stop being lazy and start updating. Having software that creates a barrier helps, but even those need constant updating as new risk are popping up every single day.
We bust our collective backsides to build a solid business, an excellent reputation, have a few dollars in the bank and care for our families. Why waste all that on not taking every precaution you can to protect yourself in a world where cyber theft is more likely than being robbed on the street?
Don't be an easy mark.
Ed Berliner consults national Embassies, Fortune 500 companies, film & television production companies, and takes special care in speaking to groups in the MICE community about best media practices in every aspect. His MICE dedicated newsletter, "Event Laughers", is a regular read for those friends and colleagues that have him speak to their companies and events. Sign up today for the "Event Laughers" newsletter and join the conversation.
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