Everything Needs to be Secured

5.1 Security in the Digitized World

• Data Changes: The quantity, volume, variety, and immediacy of generated data have changed significantly.
• Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Sensitive Personal Information (SPI): This is data relating to a living individual that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a specific individual.
• Informational Data: This can also contain sensitive information concerning corporate secrets, new product patents, or national security.

Why is Security So Important?

• Types of Data: Includes personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive personal information (SPI), and corporate or national security data.
• The Good Guys:
  • Legitimate companies that have an agreement to use collected data, often agreed to in "Terms and Conditions" or "Terms of Service and Agreements."
  • White hat hackers who test security to help protect data.
• The Bad Guys:
  • Black hat hackers who want access to collected data for nefarious reasons, including:
    • Accessing user IDs and passwords to steal identities.
    • Accessing data to commit crimes.
    • Selling information to third parties.
    • Modifying data or disabling device functionality.
    • Disrupting or damaging the image of legitimate companies.
    • Creating political unrest or making political statements.

Data in the Wrong Hands

• Login credentials and personal data from over one million Yahoo and Gmail accounts have been offered for sale on the dark web.
• Cybercriminals penetrated Equifax (EFX) in July 2017 and stole personal data of 145 million people.
• A breach of MyFitnessPal affected 150 million users.
• Ransomware attackers stole 57 million drivers and rider accounts from Uber.

Security Best Practices

• Outside perimeter security: on-premise security officers, fences, gates, continuous video surveillance, and security breach alarms.
• Inside perimeter security: continuous video surveillance, electronic motion detectors, security traps, and biometric access and exit sensors.

Protecting the Corporate World

• Physical Security:
  • Outside perimeter security measures like security officers, fences, video surveillance, and alarms.
  • Inside perimeter security measures like video surveillance, motion detectors, security traps, and biometric access.

Challenges of Securing IoT Devices

• Increasing Number of Devices: The number of interconnected sensors and smart devices is growing exponentially, increasing the opportunity for attacks.
• Non-Traditional Location of Devices: Some connected IoT devices can interact with the physical world.
• Lack of Upgradeability: IoT sensor-enabled devices may be located in remote or inaccessible locations, making human intervention or configuration difficult.

Safe Wi-Fi Usage

• Steps to ensure safe use of Wi-Fi includes keeping firewalls on, managing your OS and browser, protecting all your devices, and using antivirus and antispyware.

Protecting Devices

• Keep the Firewall On
• Manage Your Operating System and Browser
• Protect All Your Devices
• Use Antivirus and Antispyware

Securing Personal Data and Devices

Smart Homes

• Smart sensors in homes increase the potential for security issues.
• Sensors could provide a way for hackers to access the home network and connected PCs and data.
• Researching the developer and security/encryption protocols is crucial before purchasing home security systems.

Public Hotspots

• Safety rules when using public or unsecure Wi-Fi hotspots:
  • Do not access or send sensitive personal information.
  • Verify that your computer requires user authentication with encryption for file and media sharing.
  • Use encrypted virtual private network (VPN) tunnels and services.
• Bluetooth can be exploited by hackers to eavesdrop, establish remote access, distribute malware, and drain batteries; turn it off when not in use.

VPN on Smartphones

• Set up a VPN on your smart phone.

Chapter Summary

• The quantity, volume, variety, and immediacy of generated data has changed.
• Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Sensitive Personal Information (SPI) is data relating to a living individual that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a specific individual.
• Informational data can also contain sensitive information concerning corporate secrets, new product patents, or national security.
• White hat hackers test security to help protect data.
• Black hat hackers want access to collected data for many nefarious reasons.
• Outside perimeter security involves on-premise security officers, fences, gates, continuous video surveillance, and security breach alarms.
• Inside perimeter security includes continuous video surveillance, electronic motion detectors, security traps, and biometric access and exit sensors.
• Challenges of securing devices on the IoT include:
  • Increasing Number of Devices: The number of interconnected sensors and smart devices is growing exponentially, increasing the opportunity for attacks.
  • Non-Traditional Location of Devices: Some connected IoT devices can interact with the physical world.
  • Lack of Upgradeability: IoT sensor-enabled devices may be located in remote and/or inaccessible locations where human intervention or configuration is almost impossible.
• Know the steps to protect your company’s wireless network.
• Steps for protecting your own devices:
  • Keep the Firewall On
  • Manage Your Operating System and Browser
  • Protect All Your Devices
  • Use Antivirus and Antispyware
• Smart sensors in our homes increase the potential for security issues.
• Safety rules to follow when using a public or unsecure Wi-Fi hotspot:
  • Do not access or send any sensitive personal information
  • Verify that your computer is configured with file and media sharing, and that it requires user authentication with encryption.
  • Use encrypted virtual private network (VPN) tunnels and services.
• Set up a VPN on your smart phone.