Page 22 - Cyber Warnings

messages are sent and received over them for related security training to be ignored,
and as such, training procedures specifically focusing on them are recommended for any
individual. Each OS has its own security tools available for use, and data management
on smartphones is a woefully neglected skill.
 While this an extremely complex skill if looked at too deeply, anyone working with data
should be taught the basics of computer networking and the different protocols and
options used. Knowing the importance of keeping a network private or keeping a firewall
turned on will motivate people to keep those very habits.

Environments and Device Policies Make a Difference

Networks are not created equal from a cybersecurity standpoint, and businesses and individuals
alike need to realize that the public network hosted by your local café is a shark tank of hackers
hoping to intercept data on public networks. If employees meet clients in these locations or work
while they travel they need to learn to use of Virtual Private Networks (VPN) so that they can
protect themselves and the data under their jurisdiction. They similarly need to get a VPN that is
of a high quality so any doubt can be left behind as to their level of protection.

Human error also comes about more easily from the mixing of work and personal devices.
Checking a social media account is one thing, but too often people of all types will try to be
more efficient only to be counterproductive at that task, distracting themselves and leaving their
machines open to more risks than necessary. It should be advised as a company policy that
these devices should remain separate, even if it means that a company supply the necessary
devices themselves.

This is a complex issue that will only grow more complex as more threats emerge and the
importance of cybersecurity grows. Companies are starting to feel the need to improve their
cybersecurity posture (whether through consequences of law or more general reasoning), and
as such they are going to turn to the experts and those with cybersecurity knowledge.
Recognize the gaps where you see them and talk to the people that matter.

Share this information with your company and/or clients so that the world becomes a safer
place. Whether you like it or not, people with data to keep safe have to rely on larger structures
and organizations to pull their weight. Keep the discussion going, and be bold in your efforts to
make people more conscious of their cybersecurity problems.

About the Author

Jen Martinson is an internet security specialist and editor-in-chief for
Secure Thoughts, an excellent resource for important internet security
information. She loves to share her security tips with other users and has
set out to make the internet a safer place for all!

22 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – March 2016 Edition
Copyright © Cyber Defense Magazine, All rights reserved worldwide