What a CIO has to say about cybersecurity

We are living in times when the “new normal” is our standard, the possibilities of moving forward are in the capabilities of adaptation, resilience and learning. While we have protected ourselves from biological risks, other viruses have increased their reach; now our digital presence is higher and this makes us vulnerable. Only cybersecurity awareness can keep us safe.

Within this process of adaptation, remote work, in addition to its many benefits, has also represented a challenge for companies, because, at least from our experience and from the infrastructure management, we have had to find how to implement mechanisms that allow the proper performance of the work of people, and cybersecurity to not neglect each connection point, which becomes a new vector of attack from unscrupulous entities, which could carry, in this case, not only an individual risk, but a big risk for the companies.

The personal data protection and privacy should be one of the main points to be aware of, and to take responsibility in these times, because we are not only offering them easily through applications and virtual platforms, but through the innocent act of connecting to a free public network.

What is cybersecurity?

It is important to first clarify that this covers all the control mechanisms that we take to protect access to our environment (systems, networks and devices) in order to prevent the intrusion of outsiders who aim to manipulate our information.

What can we do?

Prevention is the cornerstone of any defense mechanism. Here are some tips that can help keep our information safe from cyberattacks.

• Strong passwords
  

  • Do not use passwords that are easy for attackers to infer, ideally choose a password that includes uppercase, lowercase, symbols and numbers. You can use an automatic password generator.
    
  • Never put personal information as part of the password: do not include birthdates, anniversaries, phone numbers, children’s names, nor related data.
    
  • Don’t use the same password on all your accounts, it is common to find news about how public sites have been attacked, and it is possible that your data has already been compromised.
    
  • Passwords are personal and non-transferable, so we should not share them with anyone.
    
  • Change passwords periodically and thus reduce the possibility of becoming a victim of cybercrime.
    

• Beware whom you trust:
  

  Whenever you receive an email, verify the origin, do not enter into links that suggest such emails and much less download documents or executables from unknown people; since we will be at imminent risk of phishing (identity theft), Ransomware (information hijacking) or Malware (computer viruses).

• Information on social networks 

Let’s be careful with what we share, and above all, let’s take the time to configure the security and privacy of each social network. With cybersecurity, we can be sure that the information reaches our target audience, and not unwanted people. Do not post information related to where we work, where we live or how we can be found.

When we publish private information, we are more vulnerable. An attack starts with knowing the person, their habits, their hobbies, their weaknesses, and who they are close to. The less they know about us, the harder prey we are for attackers to reach.

Do not engage in social networking relationships with strangers who may be trying to get close and then use the knowledge or closeness to infringe on your rights.

• Do not provide personal information

Before providing or downloading any information make sure that it is transmitted through a secure channel that has the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol, do not access or provide information if the page is not HTTPS. You can verify this at the beginning of each URL.

• Get Connected in safe places

Let’s be cautious when connecting to any Wi-Fi network, especially if it is public. While many establishments such as cafes, libraries, airports, offer free Wi-Fi, quite useful at times, however, we do not know what cybersecurity measures they have. Always prefer to use a known network or if it is the case, share your data plan. If you must connect to a public network, above all, do not try to make use of financial services, email or others that handle sensitive information, they may be using the network as bait to steal our information.

• The antivirus!

Use licensed and continuously updated products to protect your device. It’s the old, but still effective and reliable protection strategy.

• Always update the software

Let’s make it a habit to update the software, both the operating system and the other computer software, including the software of the computer manufacturer. What we achieve by doing this is to advance our cybersecurity and be safe from attacks that are identified in the market and that the provider constantly repaired, it is useless to have outdated software and therefore vulnerable.

• Two-factor authentication

Whenever possible, use systems with two-factor authentication. That way, if for any reason your credentials are stolen, it will be more difficult for attackers to reach the information without the access that a second authentication gives.

• Encryption of information

Let’s use the cybersecurity mechanisms provided by the devices, to keep information safe, such as disk encryption. If your device is stolen, at least you can rest assured that your information will not be accessible.

• Credit cards

If possible, do not use it online, and if we must do it, only in sites with an excellent reputation. A cybersecurity alternative is to request an e-card, have a secondary credit card with a smaller authorized amount (to mitigate in case of an event) or pay through intermediate gateways such as PayPal.

If possible, memorize the verification digit on the back of the card and erase it from the card to make it more difficult to use in case of theft or loss.

• Start PIN

Protect your mobile with pin/password access, rather than a pattern which is more easily cracked. By gaining access to your phone, an attacker will have access to your primary two-factor authentication key, as well as phones usually have email accounts set up and most systems use text messages or emails as a means of resetting passwords. Leaving your phone unlocked in public view is to offer the great risk of passwords being changed on all your systems.

• PIN SIM card

A good practice is to PIN the SIM card of the mobile, as it is easily removable and can be inserted into another mobile to receive private calls or text messages with sensitive information.

• Review the terms and conditions

Reading the terms and conditions may sound awful, but for your cybersecurity, it’s important to be clear about what we agree to and not go in blindly granting access to our information.

These are just a few of the many protection mechanisms that are being updated every day, and with them, we all must. Today, more than ever, cyberattacks are a real threat to companies and individuals. We have to question ourselves if we really have protection systems and what is the scope that our data is having. Leave us your comment if you have any other protection technique or if any doubt arises, you can always contact us