1.1 The World of cybersecurity

From Module 1: Intro to cybersecurity

What is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is the ongoing effort to protect individuals, organizations and governments from digital attacks by protecting networked systems and data from unauthorized use or harm.

Personal

On a personal level, you need to safeguard your identity, your data, and your computing devices.

Organizational

At an organizational level, it is everyone’s responsibility to protect the organization’s reputation, data and customers.

Government

As more digital information is being gathered and shared, its protection becomes even more vital at the government level, where national security, economic stability and the safety and wellbeing of citizens are at stake.

Protecting Your Personal Data

Personal data is any information that can be used to identify you, and it can exist both offline and online.

Many people think that if they don’t have any social media or online accounts set up, then they don’t have an online identity. This is not the case. If you use the web, you have an online identity.

Your Online Identity

When choosing a username, it’s important not to reveal any personal information. 

Some other useful tips to help you generate your username:

• Don’t use your full name or parts of your address or phone number.

• Don’t use your email username.

• Don’t use the same username and password combination, especially on financial accounts.

• Don’t choose a super-odd username and then reuse it again and again — it makes you easier to track.

• Don’t choose a username that gives clues to your passwords such as a series of numbers/letters, the first part of a two-part phrase, such as knock-knock or starlight, or the department in which you work, such as IT.

• Do choose a username that’s appropriate for the type of account, i.e., business, social or personal.

Your Data

Personal data describes any information about you, including your name, social security number, driver license number, date and place of birth, your mother’s maiden name, and even pictures or messages that you exchange with family and friends.

Cybercriminals can use this sensitive information to identify and impersonate you, infringing on your privacy and potentially causing serious damage to your reputation.

Medical records

Every time you visit the doctor, personal information regarding your physical and mental health and wellbeing is added to your electronic health records (EHRs). Since the majority of these records are saved online, you need to be aware of the medical information that you share.

And these records go beyond the bounds of the doctor’s office. For example, many fitness trackers collect large amounts of clinical data such as your heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, which is transferred, stored and displayed via the cloud. Therefore, you should consider this data to be part of your medical records.

Education records

Educational records contain information about your academic qualifications and achievements. However, these records may also include your contact information, attendance records, disciplinary reports, health and immunization records as well as any special education records including individualized education programs (IEPs).

Employment and financial records

Employment data can be valuable to hackers if they can gather information on your past employment, or even your current performance reviews.

Your financial records may include information about your income and expenditure. Your tax records may include paychecks, credit card statements, your credit rating and your bank account details. All of this data, if not safeguarded properly, can compromise your privacy and enable cybercriminals to use your information for their own gain.

Where Is Your Data?

One of your friends was so proud that they decided to post and share your photos online. The photos are no longer just on your device. They have in fact ended up on servers located in different parts of the world and people whom you don’t even know now have access to your photos.

Smart Devices

Consider how often you use your computing devices to access your personal data. Unless you have chosen to receive paper statements, you probably access digital copies of bank account statements via your bank’s website. And when paying a bill, it’s highly likely that you’ve transferred the required funds via a mobile banking app.

But besides allowing you to access your information, computing devices can now also generate information about you.

Wearable technologies such as smartwatches and activity trackers collect your data for clinical research, patient health monitoring, and fitness and wellbeing tracking. As the global fitness tracker market grows, so also does the risk to your personal data.

It might seem that information available online is free. But is privacy the price we pay for this digital convenience?

For example, social media companies generate the majority of their income by selling targeted advertising based on customer data that has been mined using algorithms or formulas. Of course, these companies will argue that they are not ‘selling’ customer data, but ‘sharing’ customer data with their marketing partners.

You can make up your own mind!

What Do Hackers Want?

So, with all this information about you available online, what do hackers want? Of course, they want your money.

For Example: A cybercriminal can take advantage of your relationships, accessing your online accounts and appealing to your good nature to try and trick you into wiring money to your friends or family in a time of need. For example, there have been many reported cases of hackers impersonating family members and sending messages stating that they need money wired in order to get home from abroad after losing their wallets.

And while you may think that your frequent flyer air miles are not valuable to cybercriminals, think again. In 2015, cybercriminals hacked approximately 10,000 American Airlines and United accounts, booking free flights and upgrades using stolen credentials. Even though the frequent flyer miles were returned to the customers by the airlines, this example demonstrates the value of your login credentials.

Cybercriminals are certainly very imaginative when it comes to gaining access to your money. But that’s not all they are after — they could also steal your identity and ruin your life.They may seek sensitive personal information, such as social security numbers, bank details, or credit card information, to commit fraud or identity theft.

Identity Theft

Not content with stealing your money for short-term financial gain, cybercriminals are invested in the long-term gain of identity theft.

Medical theft

Rising medical costs have led to an increase in identity theft, with cybercriminals stealing medical insurance to use the benefits for themselves. Where this happens, any medical procedures carried out in your name will then be saved in your medical records.

Banking

Stealing private data can help cybercriminals access bank accounts, credit cards, social profiles and other online accounts. Armed with this information, an identity thief could file a fake tax return and collect the refund. They could even take out loans in your name and ruin your credit rating (and your life as well).

Who Else Wants My Data?

It’s not just criminals who seek your personal data.

-Your internet service provider (ISP): Your ISP tracks your online activity and, in some countries, they can sell this data to advertisers for a profit.

In certain circumstances, ISPs may be legally required to share your information with government surveillance agencies or authorities.

-Advertisers: Targeted advertising is part of the Internet experience. Advertisers monitor and track your online activities such as shopping habits and personal preferences and send targeted ads your way.

-Search engines and social media platforms: These platforms gather information about your gender, geolocation, phone number and political and religious ideologies based on your search histories and online identity. This information is then sold to advertisers for a profit.

-Websites you visit: Websites use cookies to track your activities in order to provide a more personalized experience. But this leaves a data trail that is linked to your online identity that can often end up in the hands of advertisers!

Next Up...

It’s obvious that cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated in their pursuit of valuable personal data. But they also pose a huge threat to organizational data.