Position Paper #2 - Cybersecurity

 Cybersecurity: How to Stay Protected  

In a society that relies heavily on computers and technology, it is no surprise that there are internet security issues. Just recently, my mom lost her entire Facebook due to a hacker. We could not save her information, so she lost over ten years of posts and photos. To make matters worse, my parents had to change their accounts' passwords to protect their data and prevent hackers from gaining banking or identity information. Instances like these are disappointing and scary, highlighting the necessity of protecting our passwords and securing our online accounts. On a broader scale, cybersecurity is essential for companies to protect their client's information or protect data held by governments and world leaders.

When I think of the term "hacker," I picture a character from a spy movie. In these movies, the "hacker" is typing furiously on a laptop and using jargon no one understands. Although this movie stereotype is a typical portrayal of hackers in the media, it does not truly depict the severity of what cyber attacks can carry. For example, hackers can gain information to cause electrical blackouts, failure of military equipment, national security threats, or receive sensitive personal data. With this personal data, hackers can commit identity theft or hack into your financial accounts. The critical question is: how can we protect this information? One way we could protect our data is by using security companies. For example, Dashline, Fortinet, and Cisco pride themselves on protecting your personal information. 

Recently, when scrolling on social media, I came across a post from Robert Downey Junior advocating for cybersecurity on Instagram. He has recently partnered with Aura to help protect others from security threats and identity theft. The company has been featured on platforms such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Insider, Bloomberg, and CNBC. Aura offers identity theft protection, financial fraud protection, antivirus protection, and WiFi security. 

Although using cybersecurity companies to protect your information is essential, there are other things you can do to keep your information secure. The first example is multifactor authentication. You may be prompted to add your phone number and email for authentication when creating an online account. Using multiple ways to authenticate your identity will aid you in the future. If a hacker changes your email, you may be able to regain access to your account through your phone number. You must also avoid using the same password for every account while updating them regularly.

On most social media, users can access their accounts through 2-Step verification. Whenever you log into your account, a prompt is sent to your email or phone asking for authentication. I use 2-step verification on my Google account, and I encourage you to do so as well, primarily if you use Google to log into other platforms. I also encourage you to look at your Google security often by doing security checks on your account. Google will tell you through the security check-up if any saved passwords are breached or unsecured. The check-up also tracks what devices have logged in to your Google account.

One unfortunate example of a cyber threat is a company losing its customer's trusted information. For example, AT&T has recently notified customers of a breach at their company. Although AT&T's symptoms were not affected, nine million customers' accounts were hacked. The information exposed included customers' names, account numbers, phone numbers, and email addresses. Company breaches like this happen often. Another company breached was PayPal. In December 2022, a hacker used previously compromised usernames and passwords to access accounts. Thirty-five thousand individuals were affected and are now suing PayPal for failing to "safeguard their data." PayPal learned of the breach before the holidays but did not send a notice until January 19, 2023. The company claimed there was "no evidence" that the compromised logins were from PayPal's systems; however, the lawsuit claims that the company was negligent in protecting user data. The ill-fated data breach at PayPal emphasizes the dangers of hackers and their ability to obtain information. It also highlights our need for cybersecurity. 

There are many people in America today that are unaware of cyber attacks. Hackers can gain sensitive information and cause damage to the lives of others. The internet is necessary for our way of life, and the information we put online must be protected. We must stay aware of the dangers of the internet and what people can do. Companies, as well as our government, use cybersecurity to help protect us and to keep us safe, but we must take action ourselves to ensure that our information does not enter the wrong hands.