

Well, once again it is that time of year where ghosts, ghouls, and Spider-man roam the streets for candy. This Halloween, I dressed fashionably as Sherlock Holmes with pink, fuzzy Bunny slippers. I tried to get my wife to go as Watson, but the look I received had me shivering in my boots reminding me that there are so many kinds of fear. I don’t think she appreciated my dedication to the Holmes-ian lore. So, while I was passing out candy, I pondered that many of us might be getting goosebumps from all of the Hacking going on in the world
This led me to ask the question. Why is security such a nightmare?!? Most of us find ourselves beholden to Windows Updates, Antivirus Updates, Anti-Spam updates, and Email Spam filter systems. In the pool of never-ending updates, sometimes we feel as though we don’t truly have a grip on the state of our own security.
If you don’t run a modern security tool, you live in Cyber-fear. Today we live in the age of Cyber-warfare. China hacks the US…the US hacks China…Russia hacks the US…we hack back…and everyone disavows that any of this is actually going on. It can make you feel pretty powerless.
However, the one thing *every* hack has in common is lack of preparation and carelessness.
So…Let’s break it down.
Just like in any crime, criminals need a door (or a Window). People who wish to steal or harm in the cyber-world need an entrance. Don’t give them one.
A lot of you out there reading this article will think that you aren’t worth hacking and even if you do get hacked, there is nothing of value. Just a bunch of the photos of the kids. Don’t be fooled.
If you work for a small dry cleaning firm and work with the customer list, how much is that customer list worth and to whom. It might not seem like much to you, but your competitor across town might pay a pretty penny for that list. Yes, that makes you a prime target …. for someone.
In Information Age, it’s all about information. Yours, mine, even your mother-in-law’s. Information is power. Protect it. If you ever doubt the power of information, just ask Google.