Position Paper #2

 Handling Cyber Crime

I think it is common, when thinking of cybersecurity or cyber attacks, for people to think of large scale cyber invasions like the breaking of a firewall of a huge company. However, especially in the age of technology we are currently in, there are personal cybersecurity invasions happening every day all around us. While things like this have been happening for years and years, 2020 was perhaps one of the most active years in regards to cyber attacks. While the rest of the world was going through some of the toughest times with COVID-19 taking over our everyday lives, hackers and cyber criminals were having a blast preying on the vulnerability of people. They posed as and impersonated pandemic responders such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in order to steal information and money from people who were going through desperate times. 

While in the past protecting against cyber attacks may have been as easy as switching over to safe browsers, experts are now recommending adding even more layers to you or your company’s digital life. The quote, “It is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is for permission” does not necessarily apply to the topic of cyber breaches. As a leader of a company, you are personally responsible if the company goes under cyber attack. Instead of waiting for it to happen and then worry about patching things up, it is important for companies and businesses to apply proactive measures in order to try and prevent a major cyber attack from happening. Alniz Popat of online publication Entrepreneur published an article in 2018, that I think is still incredibly relevant, about ways companies can try and prevent cyber attacks from happening. 

First, one of the most important steps that is often overlooked and the main cause of a cyber attack: securing your hardware. This is a simple measure that needs to be taken to add an extra layer of protection to the company’s information. Securing hardware simply means

having complicated passwords, sharing those passwords with the device user only, and memorizing it as opposed to writing it down. Another measure that a company, and truthfully anyone, can take to try and prevent cyber breaches is to back up data. The larger the company, the more data it carries. It is important to make sure all data is backed up in case it is erased or stolen. Lastly, I think it is crucial for businesses to invest in cyber security insurance. While people may not have to look into this for things like a phone or tablet, companies should certainly consider putting money into making sure their information is safe and secure. Cyber criminals are constantly working to get through the security measures of companies and businesses, and paying for insurance will help insure that those security boundaries are strong and tough to break through. 

While these steps and precautions are certainly necessary and can be extremely helpful in preventing attacks on the cybersecurity of a business, they are also never 100% dependable. That is why it is important for companies to have steps ready to be taken in the event that a breach does happen. Online blog, Auth0, published an article in December of 2020 that gave some tips and steps that should be taken by a company in case a security breach does happen. The first step that should be taken is consulting with legal counsel. Not only is this helpful to the companies, but it is actually required in many states to consult with legal counsel as well as notify relevant parties or else the business will have serious fines to pay. One of the most important things a business can do immediately after a cyber attack is to secure data and systems and limit further data loss. According to an IBM 2020 study, completing this step could save the company an average of $164,386.

In most cases, large companies and businesses are more susceptible to cyber security breaches simply because of the amount of users and data that is under the company’s name. However, infiltration of personal data is certainly not unheard of especially considering the growing speed and anonymity of the Internet. I personally have had to see this cybercrime up close as my parents have had their bank information hacked twice in previous years. As children, most of us were told basic Internet rules such as “never put your personal information online”, but what other steps can be taken in order to try and prevent these things from happening? There are multiple steps that are quick and easy that could potentially save someone from a serious personal information breach. 

First, according to ARAG Legal Insurance, making sure security software on devices like a computer or tablet is regularly updated is very important. Security software and settings are there for a reason and they should be taken advantage of and used to their fullest intent. Another simple step to take is simply logging off when you step away from your computer. This is an easy way to ensure that no one can gain access to your personal device and therefore your personal information. Logging off can also be related to having strong passwords and not sharing them with anyone. This next step is one that I believe is often overlooked and not taken seriously enough. People should consider whether or not they should use public WiFi. This step is a difficult one to think about on a daily basis because it becomes almost second nature to quickly connect to public WiFi especially if service in the area is not very strong. Using the public internet can allow hackers to see any passwords or account information that is being entered while connected and in return allows them to easily steal personal information without even having to be in the same room as the device.

Just like in the case of companies and organizations, data can be breached even when all of these steps are being taken. For that reason, it is important to know what to do if you find yourself in a cyberattack on your personal data. Regardless of what type of breach it is - financial, educational (a school or university), or government related - there are three crucial steps that could save the stolen data. First, it is important to get official confirmation of the breach and whether or not your information was exposed. Sometimes, even though your device or account was hacked, information may not necessarily be exposed and it is important to know if that is the case. Secondly, you have to know what kind of data was stolen. This is important because different steps are needed for different data. For example, if just your credit card number was stolen, then canceling the card resolves the issue in a quick way. However, if your Social Security Number was taken, there are much larger steps to take considering that is much more sensitive information. The third step is to accept help. There are companies and people who are prepared to handle things like this and these are times when ego should be put aside in order to salvage personal information.

 

Overall, cyberattacks and stolen information is much more common than many people believe. Sometimes these breaches are almost impossible to stop, but with proactive measures and quick responses people will be able to save stolen information and hopefully help dwindle the number of cyber crimes that are taking place every single day.