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ASU Experts Offer Easy Steps and Advice for Cybersecurity Awareness Month
From phones and doorbell cameras to cars and smart infrastructure, connected devices are everywhere, and the security of these devices is critical. Cybersecurity should be everyone’s responsibility. We all have to work together to create a safer environment for this generation and generations to come.
Since 2004, the President of the United States has declared October Cybersecurity Awareness Month, led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Cybersecurity Alliance. This year’s theme, “See Yourself in Cyber,” shows that while cybersecurity may seem like a complex subject, it’s actually a people’s problem.
In this Q&A, Arizona State University expert Nadia Bliss, executive director of the Global Security Initiative, and Jamie Winterton, strategic director of the Global Security Initiative, discuss how cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. , discuss how we can protect ourselves online and what we can do. On the subject of cyber security.
1. Why is cybersecurity important?
Nadia Bliss: Computing and connected devices are literally in every aspect of our lives, and we rely heavily on them to help us function as individuals and as a society more broadly. product. As such, security for these devices is a top priority.
Jamie Winterton: Since many of the components of society are connected to the Internet, I think it counts as an important piece of infrastructure at this point.
2. What can people do to protect themselves online?
Here’s some practical advice from Bliss and Winterton.
- Take a step back and evaluate. Ask yourself.
- Keep technology up to date. Updates identify software vulnerabilities and help keep your operating system secure.
- Be careful with unreliable sources. If you don’t recognize the link someone shared with you, don’t click it. Often these are malicious and can cause harm.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication. This will give you an alert to make sure you are logged into his website for your bank account or credit card in addition to your usual password.
- Use a password manager. These allow you to create complex passwords that you are unlikely to remember and make your life easier by keeping them safe.
- Think before you share. Always check sources and avoid spreading misinformation or phishing attacks. Many of today’s phishing scams rely on the fear factor to make poor decisions. Stop, think, understand.
- Disable unnecessary connections to the Internet. Everyday devices often lack protocols for updates that protect against security breaches. So keep them off the web if possible.
3. Why is cybersecurity a good career choice?
Winterton: The first reason is salary. Salaries for cybersecurity professionals tend to be very high. There are so many ways to get involved in cybersecurity, and I think we sometimes miss them. Must be a governance, compliance, policy, and security evangelist to users and communicators. All of these are much needed today.
The second reason is the fact that a career in cybersecurity impacts the real world. You’re doing something to protect people who may not be able to protect themselves. Creating safer technology demands less burden and risk for users.
bliss: You don’t necessarily need a technical background to think like a hacker. We have excellent cybersecurity professionals with backgrounds in history, philosophy and theater. According to many studies, there is a labor shortage in cybersecurity. The opportunities continue to grow as technology evolves and becomes more prevalent. Employees on this desirable career path are guaranteed a growth trajectory as there are many opportunities to learn different technologies, modalities and operations within cybersecurity.
4. What are the reasons and solutions for the cybersecurity deficit?
bliss: We focus too much on features and too little on security. And from the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack to his Equifax data breach, the cost of vulnerabilities continues to rise, and we’re seeing a shift in people’s awareness of the importance of security. Steadily improving things requires different incentive structures, and the next step is implementation.
Winterton: in the infosecInformation security In the community, we hear about companies creating job listings that don’t fit their actual needs. Yes, we need more people in the field, but we also need to hire the right people with the right experience.
See how the ASU is addressing the cybersecurity gap.
5. What predictions do you have for the cybersecurity industry in the near future?
The next prediction by Winterton and Bliss looks five to ten years into the future.
- Increased cybersecurity risks in healthcare, biotech, agriculture, and automotive industries.
- Through the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, coordination between government and industry continues to strengthen.
- There is increasing adoption of artificial intelligence to make systems more resilient to attacks and to enable automated agents to launch attacks more quickly and efficiently.
- Fundamental breakthroughs in quantum computing capabilities and corresponding potential implications for widely adopted technologies such as cryptography.
6. What are the major challenges impacting cybersecurity?
bliss: We tend to get more excited about novelty than security, and I think we should stop and ask ourselves, “Do I need to connect this household item to the Internet?” Also, it is necessary to connect the community of those who make the system and those who use it. We need a better understanding of the space of vulnerability at all educational levels, from kindergarten to education.
Winterton: In the United States, the public and private sectors overlap, and regulation and governance across these areas will always be a major challenge. There are unique challenges when privately owned companies that serve the public interest are compromised or fall victim to ransomware like Colonial Pipeline. At the international level, the challenges increase, but there is still no international consortium to address cybersecurity issues. This is probably the biggest challenge of all.
7. What is the ASU doing to address these challenges?
Winterton: Cybersecurity problems cannot be solved without a radically interdisciplinary approach, and at ASU, we are gaining an edge through our Center for Cybersecurity and Trusted Foundations. is to give people hands-on experience in situations of
ASU offers a wide range of cybersecurity training and education services that enable people to pursue a variety of career paths in the field. In addition to formal degrees through the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence and other academic units, ASU is committed to experiential learning through initiatives such as supporting student hacking clubs and hosting the Capture the Flag competition. is. Defcon.
Learn about ASU’s involvement in DEF CON.
Join us for this Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- ASU Hacking Club. The ASU Hacking Club aims to teach people the basics of hacking.
- Pwn. college. The online education platform provides training modules for aspiring cybersecurity professionals inside and outside ASU.
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Cybersecurity) from ASU. Through the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, this degree equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to build reliable and secure information systems and networks and to ensure the integrity and quality of information stored, processed and transmitted. provide to
- Protected. ASU is committed to raising the bar when it comes to cybersecurity awareness. Join us for October’s events and campaigns.
The Global Security Initiative is supported in part by Arizona’s Technology and Research Initiative Fund. Our investment in TRIF has enabled hands-on training for tens of thousands of students, thousands of scientific discoveries and patented technologies, and hundreds of new start-ups across Arizona’s universities. Publicly supported through voter approval, TRIF is an essential resource for growing Arizona’s economy and providing opportunities for Arizona residents to work, learn, and thrive.
Above: Jamie Winterton (left) and Nadia Bliss.
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