Tech Tuesday on Sirius/XM PGA Tour Radio for 10/1/13 - Cyber Security Threats

* TOPICS - Keeping our computer-based equipment, information and services protected from unintended or unauthorized access, change or destruction. Computer security also includes protection from unplanned events and natural disasters.

There are Cyber Threats everywhere!  For individuals and businesses
 

* If you are an individual:

1.   Pick a good password.  A combination of letters and numbers, capital and small case
If you get message that a particular website could be infected or poses a threat, don't go to it.


2.   Don't open emails with attachments when you don't know what they are

3.    SMiShing   -  new threat

Cybercriminals use Short Message Service (SMS) (text message) to contact users and ask them to click on a malicious link,” he explained. “Once clicked, a malicious app download is triggered, taking the user to an infected website.”This website then enables attackers to collect login information, passwords and other confidential data.
 

*If you are an organization or business

4.  Choose infrastructures designed from the start with security in mind, rather than trying to layer security on top of existing, legacy systems.
    Make sure operators and security analysts clearly understand the new networks and put common policies in place. For instance, you want to allow only approved and certified applications and other software onto the system.  -  Basics
    Plan for round-the-clock monitoring to spot and prevent intrusion. It can be tough to identify unauthorised activity in a legacy network; it's easier with a new system.


5.  Make sure your employees are trained to spot a cyber attack or cyber threat

 6.  Lock holes in your network

Look at security holes within the organization. As technology becomes more complex and specialized, companies tend to rely on their IT providers to block access from outsiders, without realizing that security dangers are lurking between their own walls. Consequently, employees, vendors and even suppliers to vendors leak data, provide unauthorized access to others and engage in other risky behaviors that compromise the company, whether or not they intend to. And cybercriminals know about these security flaws all too well, said Rob Fitzgerald, data security expert and president of the Lorenzi Group, a data security provider.

* Final word: People, processes and technologies must all work in synch or the whole system will be vulnerable.