I’m sure you’ve read a news headline or watched a report on TV, where someone’s lives where completely ruined because their information was stolen by hacker. As we continue using technology to store and share our personal data, we must be vigilant and protect our information. Having a basic knowledge of privacy and how it’s related to many different aspects of technology can help you prevent the loss or theft of your information. Understanding how to create accounts and manage your passwords properly are two great starts to managing your privacy. Let’s start at the beginning, what is Privacy? The National Institute of Standards and Technology defines Privacy as “assurance that the confidentiality of, and access to, certain information about an entity is protected” ( https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/privacy ). When thinking about computer privacy, you are really thinking about protecting your information. When creating a new online account, you can protect your data by checking t...
As individuals continue to share their personal data and details, it’s incredibly important that precautions are taken when doing so. Sometimes, more information than necessary or appropriate is shared willingly online, and individuals with malicious intent can use that information for bad. There are many different types of network security threats to be cautious about. Still, of all of them, there are two that I feel are easily avoidable with basic knowledge and training, social engineering, and phishing. International cyber security company Kaspersky defines social engineering as “… a manipulation technique that exploits human error to gain private information, access, or valuables” (Kaspersky. (2024)). Social engineering is easy for hackers to use when too much personal information is willingly shared online. This may seem like a no-brainer to most people, however, it can happen to the most cautious IT professional. In September of 2023, the La...