Cyber threats are real. A securitymagazine.com report states that a hacker attack occurs every 36 seconds. Now, think about the import of this in a world that is predicted to have over 200 billion devices by the end of this year; this simply means that there will always be a vulnerable device available to be attacked.
The reality is that I have remained a committed advocate of technological advancement and development in Nigeria because I regard it as one of the sure ways of dealing with the hydra-headed problem of corruption and other vices. However, at the back of my mind, I understand the risks associated with such advocacy, and that there is a possible catastrophe ahead if we don’t get the cybersecurity consciousness of all stakeholders including users to an above average level. So, what I find most worrisome is that in many cases of breaches, the weakest link is always a human being. For attacks on organisations, the hackers usually tries to target an individual in that organisation. The big question is: what can be done in such a situation?
One important measure is to come up with possible ways of preventing hacks into their systems, by setting up measures that are capable of combating such breaches. Put simply, there are ways an individual can better protect his/her information from getting breached. A very fundamental way to do this, which should be known to average Internet users, is to avoid using the same password across all your online platforms. This is to avoid a situation whereby all your online accounts can be compromised, once one of your online accounts gets compromised. By having different passwords for each of your online account, you have the assurance that your other accounts remain largely safe, as the hackers cannot gain access to them.
I would like to consider the views of some experts on this matter. Braden Perry, a cybersecurity expert, gave his overview, and one of his postulations is that, traditionally, information technology was not understood initially by many companies, especially by their top management. The role and responsibility of IT departments in some of these companies did not get the much-deserved support. After the various incidences of cyberattacks, there now appears to be an increased understanding between the IT departments and management.
The top management cadre of many companies now mostly have renewed interest in their IT departments and they have, of course, been looking at the need to get updated resources that will keep the organisation and its data safe. Sadly, a number of companies are, however, still paying less attention when it comes to upgrading their information security system. They may, however, have cause to regret their nonchalant attitude towards ensuring the establishment of tight security measures in order to protect their online data from the prowling hackers.
Companies should realise that upgrading of security is paramount in the — Finish Reading on the Punch
