A CULTURE OF CYBERSECURITY DEMANDS CYBER EDUCATION

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A Culture of Cybersecurity Demands Cyber Education
mikeechols.com/a-culture-of-cybersecurity-demands-
cyber-education Michael Echols
Cant Live Without It Without a doubt, the
internet makes everyday life easier and more
convenient for people while also creating
economic opportunities for anyone to launch a
business that might one day make them a
billionaire. But, while advancement in technology
has enabled sci-fi like capabilities allowing us
to solve global medical issues, organize
scientists towards cures for Cancer and even
entertain us endlessly, it has left us vulnerable
to cyber-attacks. Just as millions of
organizations use the internet for improving the
whole world, a great number of organizations use
it for their self-interest. Some of which may be
criminal. For all the advances the internet has
allowed, there are organizations and individuals
who are setback daily by attacks on their
identities, systems and networks. This creates a
constant battle between multiple groups vying to
find advantage. Some of the players, good and
bad, have aims that are not clear. Others
protect system and chase bad actors to identify
and limit their ability to hurt us. While, many
other players have no greater ambition than
financial gain. Internet Is the Great
Frontier The activities of all embattled
participants make the internet the next great
frontier. It was not
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designed to be secure and until there is a
sheriff in place, many of the users will
continue defending themselves. It is not exactly
like a Game of Thrones because the victors dont
necessarily want to be known. The cloak of the
internet is the opportunity to continue reaping
profit and causing disruption without challenge.
This anonymity allows a hacker to collect from
criminal enterprise for the rest of their lives
and beyond. It is important that internet users
have some understanding of how it works. Experts
use a lot of tech jargon to essentially describe
the different systems performing various tasks
making the internet colorful and user friendly.
To understand what is going on in cyberspace and
how you fit into the equation, it is important
to understand the players and the motivations of
the criminals. You best believe that terrorists,
nation states criminals, hacktivist and
extortionists find the same value in this
unsecured system we now find ourselves not able
to live without. New connections of devices,
networks appliances and controllers for
distributed systems are made to the internet by
simply providing the endpoint an IP address. This
is the easiest way to describe a system of
systems allowing us to insert a registered web
name and reaching a website in one click. This
usability assures the internet is not secure.
Even the name domain name system (DNS) is under
attack. Hackers have taken advantage of
vulnerabilities in the DNS. This is the mechanism
for routing you to the correct address when you
input a web address in your browser. A lot of
organizations with websites dont understand the
threat to DNS and therefore dont protect it. In
the same regard, most people dont see the inner
workings of the internet and dont think
security when sitting at their computer. We all
just expect the internet to be available to meet
our specific needs. User Security
Education Hackers banking on this nativity and
the continued flaw in systems providing them
anonymity. The uninformed users are like the
sheep who walk towards the slaughter blade or a
child accepting candy from a stranger and
following that stranger to a car for more. User
education and a sense of danger would move the
needle towards more secure environments.
However, a lack of legal responsibility on the
provider and laxed punishment imposed on service
providers who are negligent allows your data to
be stolen. The ease of committing cybercrime
invites more of the same. The hacker community
has found advantages in educating and working
together. This collaboration is also the formula
for network defenders to stop them. Culture of
Cybersecurity We will have to create a culture of
cybersecurity in the near future to withstand the
ever- expanding threat environment. A culture of
cybersecurity is a description of an active
learning environment where good cyber hygiene is
practiced and expected. It doesnt just happen.
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Training must begin at a young age in schools or
at the point an employee first comes onboard. In
this world, opportunities to mitigate cyber risks
are identified and acted on with a whole of
community approach. The result is a familiarity
with cybersecurity opportunities, reduced fear of
employment entry and a push towards cyber
entrepreneurship. Most importantly, this culture
is underpinned by continuous risk management
approach to our lives. Unfortunately, it is a
society we can only dream about in current
times. However, it is worth working towards this
goal. We only have everything to gain.