Two men are being chased by a bear. One says to the other: “There’s no way you can outrun that bear.” The other man replies, “I don’t have to be faster than the bear. I just have to be faster than you.”
The basic premise of that joke also applies when it comes to computer and Internet security. Cyber attackers are your “bear”, and the fact is you don’t have to have the best security. You just need stronger security than the next guy. In many cases, simply having any protective measures at all makes you a more difficult target and ensures that you aren’t the “low-hanging fruit”.
Stop for a minute and think about your smartphone or tablet. What sort of accounts and information might be compromised if the device was lost or stolen? Doesn’t it make sense to take steps to protect it?
Your mobile device most likely contains all of your contacts, and calendar information. It has personal photos of your family, friends, and co-workers. It has your email, and apps that connect to your various social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
Do you have a LinkedIn account? If so, you need to go change the password right now. Hackers have apparently breached the social network and have exposed an estimated 6.5 million account passwords.
Look at the bright side. You have probably been using the same password on LinkedIn for far too long, and you’re most likely using the same password on multiple websites and social networking services. This is a perfect opportunity for some password housekeeping.
The current Facebook rules require that users be at least 13 years old in order to join and set up a Facebook profile. However, Facebook may soon open the floodgates and allow younger children to join the social network as well.
A report in the Wall Street Journal suggests that Facebook is actively working on policies and controls aimed at allowing younger Facebook users. The article claims, “Mechanisms being tested include connecting children's accounts to their parents' and controls that would allow parents to decide whom their kids can "friend" and what applications they can use.”
It would be awesome if someone could develop a stealth computer program that could infiltrate enemy systems to surreptitiously gather data, or possibly even to shut down or damage elements of the nation’s critical infrastructure. It would be a much more efficient method of obtaining covert intelligence or crippling enemy capabilities without putting lives in danger.
Of course, the code might be discovered by the enemy or a third-party, and all of the brilliant engineering that went into developing the threat might also be used against its creator. Creating such a threat is a Pandora’s Box that can have serious negative consequences. In a nutshell, that seems to be how the Stuxnet virus is unfolding.
