Security in depth
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When you think of securing a building, one of the first things that may come up is to put up a fence, and maybe add a armed guard. Your next layer of defense maybe another guard or guard dog to roam the the property to address any threats that get past the fence and the gate guard. No security strategy would be complete unless you add locks on all of the doors and windows. The building may also include cameras and alarm as technical security measures as a last layer of defense.
E-Waste
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E-waste, or electronic waste, is the result of disposed electronic devivces and is the ugly off-spring of the technological world we live in. We often think of how good technology is for the environment by reducing out dependance on non-renewable resources. The materials used to manufacture electronics is also quite nasty, and the fact that many components can not be recycled. Most of the steel, copper, plastics, gold, and silver can be recycled. However, the lead used to solder the components to the circuit boards, along with the batteries, are very bad for the environment.
Secure Passwords
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I received an email regarding the review of Keepass. I am always glad to see that people enjoy the content we provide. In the email, a tool was mentioned to help generate passwords. I haven't had the opportunity to test this tool yet, but once I do, I will provide my thoughts on it.
Most people know by now the importance of have a secure password, and the risks involved with reusing passwords. The one thing that may confuse some, is what makes a good password?
The right to encrypt
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Encrypting is the abilty to encode information so that it can not be viewed without a decryption key. Encryption is important to protect the confidentiality and integrity of data, and many people will not find it suprising that there are countries that seek to ban their citizen from encrypting there data. In a world where devices are interconnected by the internet, the protection of data is as strong as the weakest link. We all can point to reasons why a business may need to encrypt the data of their customers, but what about the general populus? The justification in many cases is for national security. What happened to prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures, or the right to due process?
Social Engineering
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The internet has been around nearly 50 years and has helped produce so many innovative breakthroughs. While this may seem like a long time ago to many millennial's, the popularity of the internet did not start until the late 80’s early 90’s. Since then, so many things have changed, which has led our current adaptations. Nearly 3.2 billion people now have access to the internet, which is slightly less than half of the earth’s population.
Whats the big deal?
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Not too long ago Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, and appeared in front of Congress to speak about concerns surrounding data usage and protections. Many people were upset to find out that Facebook profits from the data it collects from its users, while others wonder what the big deal is. There are also those that wonder how money is made with this data.
Do you WannaCry?
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I am sure by now you have heard about the WannaCry ransomeware attack that impacted millions of people. In a previous post, it was mentioned that one of the best ways to avoid falling victom to these types of attacks is by keeping your system up-to-date with the latest patches. We also covered other reasons to keep servers updated with the latest versions applications. These reasons also apply to your PC.
Future of Information Security
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In the last 30-40 years, Information security has come a long way. The future of information security will more focused around managing risk and less centered on the technologies. In a world were available resources are finite, having a methodology to identify and address real world issues is important. When it is understood the likelihood of various threats, and their impact levels, informed decisions can be made on the best way to address those threats. The assessed risk values helps to provide an unbiased way to choose if acceptance, avoidance, transference, or mitigation is the best option. Resources can be best utilized on mitigating risks that are within economic or resource abilities, and consider transference or avoidance for others.
Yahoo Cyber Attack
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Yahoo is one of the latest organizations that has been a victim of a cyber attack. It appears that the impact of this attack has impacted Yahoo email users as well as Yahoo Fantasy Football users. This issue is important to note because millions of users passwords along with their challenge questions and answers were compromised. Many people reuse the same password to access everything from banking to email accounts. Couple this with the fact that people receive bank statements and other personal information into their email, makes this a recipe for disaster.
