UNPROTECTED WI-FI
An unprotected Wi-Fi account can be very dangerous to the account holder. You should always secure your Wi-Fi account. Not only can someone tap in and use your ac- count access, they can gain ac- cess to your computer and what is stored on it. They can also participate in illegal online activi- ties and [these] will go through your account. I always tell people to never do online banking or any online transactions involving personal information (such as checking on your credit card ac- count, etcetera) at a public loca- tion (library, airport lounge area, etcetera) through a wireless con- nection or public connection. There are just too many risks.
SOCIAL MEDIA SAFEGUARDS
I see social media outlets as becoming the next big arena for identity fraud. It’s already started to happen, but I think
as this avenue becomes even more integrated into our lives, we’re going to see an explosion unlike any other. Already, thieves are using social networks to gain access to all sorts of personal data that people are freely posting about themselves, e.g., birthdays, addresses, and phone numbers; when and where they are going on vacation or otherwise [will] be away from their homes; etcetera. This has opened up a range of new opportuni- ties for criminals to gain a foothold into our lives. Fortunately, there are ways that we can help protect ourselves from
these growing threats. Personal vigilance is key. But there are now addition- al safeguards that are available, which help people take a more proactive approach to their personal security. I’m involved with a product called TraceMyID (
www.tracemyid.com), which actually helps monitor — in real- time — whether your identity has been compromised and provides the sup- port someone needs should [he or she] become an identity theft victim. Products like TraceMyID should now be an integral part of someone’s per- sonal protection strategy, as it can actually help you maintain more control over your identity and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. [Editor’s note: Abagnale works for The Affinion Group, which makes TraceMyID. Similar products include Trusted ID, Lifelock, and ID Watchdog.]
PASSWORDS
AND PROTECTIONS
FROM SCAMMER TO SECURITY PRO
You might remember the fascinating story of scam artist Frank Abagnale, who was the source of the true-life adventures de- picted in the movie Catch Me If You Can (Dreamworks, 2002). As a young man, he impersonated an
[CONTINUES ON PAGE 75] PHOTO: PRESSELECT/ALAMY DECEMBER 2011 MILITARY OFFICER 59
As far as ensuring individual security, protective soft-
There are many facets to ensuring that critical data remains uncompromised within the digital realm. Among the most important things an organization can do is ensure that solid policies are in place and moni- tored for compliance. This should include rules for who has access to a particular level of data and what each person can do with that information, proper authentica- tion protocols, and tracking methods to keep tabs on how each person is using a particular data set. In addi- tion, the organization should review periodically all se- curity procedures and identify areas for potential lapses.
ware such as antivirus, antispyware, and firewalls [is] a must, and [it] should be updated no less than every seven to 10 days and more frequently (or even daily) for criti- cal systems. Highly sensitive data should be encrypted whenever transmitted and viewable only by authorized personnel who possess the correct encryption key. And, of course, utilizing “strong” passwords — a
combination of letters, numbers, and special charac- ters — is the new standard for preventing unauthorized access to systems and makes it much harder for both human and automated threats to hack into critical data. Password standards used to suggest that they be at least eight characters long, but new data suggests that 12-character strong passwords are infinitely more com- plex to hack than the traditional eight-character model.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88