Page 138 - Cyber Defense eMagazine September 2022

explains why data breaches are so common. Only companies that encrypt their access can fulfil their
legal obligation of custody, possession and control of their data, since only they have full control of the
keys to that data.

Increased physical risks

Of the issues stemming from FIDO’s proposal, none has more chilling implications than the risks that spill
over to the physical world, which makes anyone with a portable device become an obvious target for
criminals. Many cases of physical assaults in the city of London have been reported where people were
threatened with knives to give their fingerprint and face ID to open their devices. Should everyone use
their identity on their mobile device to open all their accounts, anyone walking in the street becomes a
target wallet for criminals.

As we have learned from the last decades, a lot of new technology that seems convenient at first often
hides oversized, unforeseen and uncalculated risks. FIDO’s proposal of using identity for access can
directly affect people’s security and well-being. Fortunately, we have now accumulated enough
experience and data to know better and do proper risk assessments before blindly going all in for the
next shiny new object. If we have learned anything from our early mistakes with the internet, it is that
convenience often hides a flipside you discover when it is too late. Let’s not make the same mistake
when there is so much at stake.

About the Author

Julia O’Toole, Founder and CEO of MyCena Security Solutions, a
breakthrough solution to manage, distribute and secure digital access.
An inventor and author of several patents, Julia uses maths,
neuroscience and technology to research and design simple yet
innovative solutions for complex problems. Julia’s areas of research
and expertise include cybersecurity, collaboration and search. Julia
founded MyCena in 2016, which has since become a market leader in
segmented access management and safe password distribution. With
its ground-breaking patented security system, MyCena protects
companies from the risks of password error, fraud and phishing, loss
of command and control, ransomware, and supply chain cyberattacks.

Julia can be reached online at ([email protected] , linkedin.com/in/juliaotoole,) and at our company
website http://www.mycena.co

Cyber Defense eMagazine – September 2022 Edition 138
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