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Opinion
Digital Security Is Everyone's Responsibility

There is an interesting dichotomy between the technology that runs our lives, and how many of us do (or do not) feel the need to interact with it directly. The beauty of the digital age is how seamless it is. You might think you are able to go about your daily life as a proud Luddite, but behind the scenes, big data knows all. Even if you somehow manage to get through life sans computer, cell phone or credit card, you are being tracked digitally. If you've been to the doctor in the last few years your medical records are now all digitized. Even your cash purchase history is captured in a corporate database. Driver's licenses, passports, traffic tickets, and the power grid. All electronically controlled. You get the picture.

The downside of the information superhighway is that sometimes seemingly serene exits lead to neighborhoods you certainly don't want to be visiting. It's unfortunately too easy to wind up in these places by accident. Even worse, we're seeing legitimate websites and software packages being taken over. The urban myth about razor blades showing up in Halloween candy isn't too farfetched in the digital world unfortunately. Recently it was discovered that a well-respected Antivirus program might have been hacked to install malware on your computer. Attacks like this are on the rise. The only way to combat things like this is through vigilance. Yes, cybersecurity should be important to you. Period.

Let's dispel a few of my biggest pet peeve myths:

1) "She/He is a good kid, she/he wouldn't do that."

Sorry, not true. Even the best of kids make stupid mistakes. I knew an Eagle scout who was a nearly straight A student who decided one day in high school that he was going to try and make microwave popcorn in the toaster. Absolutely no drugs or alcohol were involved in this decision, but a fire extinguisher sure was! I can promise you that my mother didn't take into account my charitable works when doling out punishment. Know what your kids are doing online. Talk to them about it. Seriously. The nightly news likes to make a big deal about nude selfies. Yes, it's an issue, especially when your fifteen-year-old is suddenly facing a felony for producing child pornography. Don't think it's going to be a problem? How about identity theft? Adults have enough trouble learning what websites are legitimate, an overexcited tween trying to buy a set of new Snapchat emojis has suddenly transmitted his or her information to Russian hackers. Along with your credit card number. Thankfully most of us know to avoid Nigerian princes with millions of dollars in the bank.

2) "I've got nothing to hide."

This one makes me want to pull my hair out and scream. Maybe you don't care that the rest of the world knows that you're a grown man who reads the Twilight books, but I bet you'll care when you check your credit report (not using Experian!) and find out that someone in New Mexico has a house and six maxed-out credit cards in your name. Medical records go for top dollars in the darkest corners of the web. They can be used to hold people for ransom (especially if you have health concerns you don't want the public to know about), and they can be used as proof of identity to set up false records and steal your identity.

3) "There's nothing I can do about it," or even better... "I'm not a computer person."

A computer person is called a robot. If you were a robot, you wouldn't need to read this op ed. This is the same as saying you did not lock your doors because you're not a locksmith. Yes, there are things you can do about this. Yes, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Use passwords that are hard to guess. Change your default passwords on your routers, baby monitors and other Wi-Fi gadgets. Update your operating systems and programs (on your phones too!) Pay for a real antivirus program! Invest in backups! You get your oil and brakes changed, no reason you can't do maintenance on your digital devices.

We ask our lawyers where they went to law school and we want to know that our doctors are board certified. Yet, we swipe our credit cards without a second thought. Maybe it's time we start asking some of the companies and professionals we do business with what steps they take to protect our data. Does your Doctor's office have "12345" as the administrator's password on the computer? Does your accountant email you tax forms using unencrypted email? How many more hospitals will have to effectively shut down for a week and pay a ransom or how many identities have to be stolen before it's okay to ask these tough questions — and get appropriate responses.

4) There's no such thing as a "back door" that will "only be used to fight criminals."

Back doors get exploited. Period. Both physical and digital. We've seen time and time again that these entry points will be exposed and exploited. There's no debate to this.

No, not everyone is going to become an IT expert overnight, but with a little vigilance and a little education you can absolutely protect yourself from many of today's cybersecurity threats.

Dustin Herlich is a Digital Wizard who has been earning money for his technical expertise for nearly twenty years. If he can help rebuild an underwater ROV in the middle of the ocean during rough weather, he can probably fix your computer.



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