Consumers can no longer rely solely on the organizations that hold their personal data to keep their information safe. With hacking run amok and sensitive personal information residing everywhere from financial institutions to online shopping sites and healthcare providers, everyday consumers are well-served in protecting themselves and lending a hand in the fight against cyber crime. The good news is, these two actions are essentially one and the same.
When the Target hack came to light in 2013, cyber security was not top of mind for consumers, but today, awareness is reaching an all-time high. In the wake of the recent Facebook breach impacting approximately 50 million users as of October 2018, it's clear that vulnerabilities still exist.
Today, the most effective way to combat security criminals is to adopt similar approaches used by large corporations that have a holistic managed detection and response solution and focus on measures that reduce data exposure. As the Director of Cyber Security Solutions at Masergy, a leading provider of managed security services, here are my recommendations.
Personal Behavior: You're the First Line of Defense
Without question the biggest security vulnerability consumers face is their own behavior. The weakest link at corporations are their own employees. Both consumers and corporations should both use these best practices.
1. Activate Automatic System Updates
Software manufacturers frequently issue system patches to address emerging security vulnerabilities. Microsoft's "Patch Tuesday" serves as a prime example. Be sure to automate these updates so they will be implemented as soon as they become available. Popular browsers such as Chrome and Firefox have automatic security settings which should be activated.
2. Protect Your Personal Data on Email, Phone, Social Media
As spear phishing advancements becoming more sophisticated by taking a hyper-targeted, highly personalized approach against your everyday behaviors, you must be vigilant with how and who you communicate with. Whether it's via phone, text, or social media--don't be fooled. Assume messages that seek personal information on a proactive basis are scams. Never provide personal data without contacting an organization directly to verify the request.
3. Use these Golden Rules for Passwords
a. Never reuse the same password from site to site, use a password manager to help you keep them organized.
b. Enable multi-factor authentication whenever possible.
c. Never remain logged-on to websites, especially banking or shopping sites.
4. Always Back Up All Important Data
Cyber attacks will never be completely negated, and companies everywhere are assuming that "it's not a matter of if, but when." Thus, smart security executives are augmenting their security strategies by adding rapid response tactics to identify intruders quickly and negate the impact.
Consumers should follow suit by simply backing up your valuable data to an external hard drive. High capacity hard disk drives are inexpensive and very easy to use for both new and experienced users. Additionally, you can also subscribe to a 3rd party cloud storage service for another layer of backup security.
5. Stay Aware and Informed
Cyber threats are advancing at paces that overwhelm even corporate "security ninjas" like myself--much less consumers. The best shield in the battle: education. I educate myself every day. You should make it a regular practice too. There are security sites such as mitre.org for all things cyber security and common vulnerability exposures are also published there. October is actually the National CyberSecurity Awareness Month! To learn more about NCSA's weekly themes and learn about more ways to get involved in NCSA's efforts, visit https://staysafeonline.org/ncsam/about-ncsam/.
"Security ninjas" know that a philosophy of "hope" is unrealistic when it comes to avoiding falling victim to cybercrime. The difference between being completely victimized or avoiding tragedy boils down to awareness, preparation, and response. Much like the rigorous training needed to to tackle the obstacle courses of "American Ninja Warrior," consumers should be armed with protections so they can take home the grand prize--the safety of their personal information.
- By Trevor Parks, Director, Security Solutions Architect, Masergy
About Trevor Parks
Trevor Parks competed on "American Ninja Warrior" for the past 4 years (2015-2018) and continues to train for his 5th season. He is also the director for cyber security solutions at Masergy, where he is responsible for guiding the development, evolution, and implementation of Masergy's Unified Enterprise Security managed detection and response platform.Trevor contributed to the development of the patented Network Behavioral Analysis technology and advanced security analytics at the core of the Masergy's managed security solutions aimed at detecting APTs and other advanced threats.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of techtimes.com
