Time to Check-in on Your Cybersecurity Health: Experts Share How to Stay Safe

10.17.2018
By: KCD PR Editorial Staff

“We are fighting the cyber war as we speak…the people who work on the dark side of the internet are constantly looking to attack major elements of our society,” Ken Slaght, CCOE Chairman & President and guest of BISTalk/ESPN Radio’s cybersecurity series through October.

To help people protect their online identify this Cybersecurity Awareness Month, our President, Kevin Dinino has been in the BISTalk Radio studio every Wednesday, co-hosting a cybersecurity series. The show, sponsored by the San Diego Cyber Center of Excellence, features some of the top names leading the cybersecurity ecosystem – covering everything from the current cyber war and personal cybersecurity to cyber education and getting into the cybersecurity profession.

Last Wednesday Kevin interviewed Stephen Cobb, Senior Security Researcher at ESET and Brad Rambur, Leader of Product Security at Teradata, who shared some wise words that we couldn’t pass up sharing:

  1. “The password is dead… it’s a passphrase”

The first thing you should note when it comes to your passwords is make them long. The shorter your password is, the easier it is for a computer to decode it. Second, make them different everywhere you go. If you use the same password over and over and you’re hacked on one site, the window has now been opened for hackers to try your password other places.  

  1. Utilize multifactor authentication

Brad explained, you will need something you know (a password), something you are (biometric lock, face recognition, fingerprint) and something you have (to protect). Maybe having that new face recognition security on the iPhone X will pay for itself.

  1. Google is your friend

If the wording in an email looks odd, type it into Google. If it is a scam, the Google results will let you know. And on that note, if you don’t know who it’s coming from, don’t click anything!

  1. Train your employees and family to have good “cyber hygiene”

Teach those around you to use a strong passphrase and know what to look for when it comes to phishing emails or ransomware. Don’t train your employees to fall for phishing by sending out emails where the subject is in ALL CAPS. This teaches employees that a typical red flag sign of a phishing scam is normal. A good source for free cybersecurity training is: https://www.eset.com/us/cybertraining/.  

  1. Think about becoming a cybersecurity professional

By 2021 the US is going to have a 3.5 million job deficit in information technology, so if you’re interested, now would be a good time to start. “If you’re interested in a cybersecurity career the biggest skillset you will need is being able to swiftly adapt. The technology is constantly changing, so you have to be committed to a lifetime of learning.” One helpful resource is https://www.cyberseek.org/ which has a heat map that shows where the cyber jobs are.

The series continue each Wednesday in October from 2-3 PM PST – be sure to check out the Facebook live feed or streaming live on ESPN 1700’s website. Or, for those driving within Southern California, lock in your dial to AM 1700.

 

Links:

Facebook Live Video Stream: https://lnkd.in/e8asxa5

Live Audio Stream: https://www.espn1700.com/

 

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