SECURITY!!!!

 

Information and system security for individuals, organizations, and everyone else is very important because everyone depends on technology to protect their online assets. Chapter 2 of CompTIA says that PII includes information that can identify individuals directly or indirectly. Some examples include names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers (SSN), bank account information, logins, and more. It’s scary because even with information that may appear harmless and small by itself can become a sensitive and big problem when combined with other information. Going into more detail for Malware and Ransomware, it makes systems vulnerable because hackers/attackers can take advantage of software weaknesses like old applications, unsafe downloads, weak authentications, and more. A successful phishing attack can give attackers an opportunity to install malware which will steal information, damage files, or perform activities that aren’t approved. This aligns with Ransomware since Ransomware is a form of malware that doesn’t let users access their files or systems and that requires a payment like a “Ransom”

              Luckily, there are preventive measures that can be taken to protect your own systems or networks from malware and ransomware. The easiest one would be maintaining current software. Everyone should install security updates and patches regularly because outdated software may contain vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit. The second recommendation would be to make backups of important information and data because they are something that can be used to recover the online assets of whoever is using it. Because there would be a backup, hackers/attackers would have a really hard time getting into them. Bonus recommendations would be to have strong passwords, multifactor authentication, or get anti-virus software.

              Moving onto another security issue is phishing! Phishing is when an attacker/hacker tries to trick a person into giving sensitive information, clicking an unsafe link, or opening a harmful attachment/file and is very common. Computer systems and users are vulnerable to phishing because communication through email and text messaging or whatever else is a normal part of everyday life. Attackers can pretend to be banks, workers, retailers, or other trusted companies. Unfortunately, I have seen this many times and have experienced it myself through text messages or emails from random unknown strangers. My personal experience was after a long road trip, and I had received a text message for a payment because I was supposedly speeding or in the wrong lane and I ended up having to cancel my debit card because of it. Phishing can be very deceitful, and many people do not realize it and it’s a very powerful security risk because it exploits human trust instead of relying just on technical vulnerabilities. Chapter 2 of CompTIA warns users not to respond to suspicious messages, provide sensitive information to unsolicited requests, or click suspicious links and attachments which I ended up failing to do but now I know and spread awareness.     

 A successful phishing attack can have a variety of consequences like unexpected password changes, unauthorized account activity or unfamiliar transactions to just name some. Some recommendations that I have to prevent phishing are making sure that whatever link that they may receive is an authentic and real link to whatever app or software they are trying to use. Secondly is informing yourself and others to spot any suspicious messages or dangerous “asks” of messages. Some bonus recommendations that I have are either ignoring the phishing message or asking someone that you trust or know more if the message/ link is authentic. Overall, information and system security is essential because data has become very valuable to everyone. Everyone should have an awareness of technology security to protect themselves from many threats, not just the ones I mentioned.