DirectLink, Canby and Mount Angel Cooperative Providers of Local Member-Based Internet and Telecommunications Services Help Users Stay Safe Online with Umbrella Defense, Cisco’s New Free Cybersecurity Product We aim to
The history of cybersecurity is literally as long as the history of the Internet itself. When the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, better known as ARPANET, first came online in his 1970s, it didn’t take long before people learned that it could be abused.
Luckily, the first computer virus was not created by criminals or other bad actors, but by Bob Thomas, a computer engineer at the research and development company BBN. In 1971, he created self-replicating code designed to travel between computers via his ARPANET.
He calls his creation a Creeper, and its only effect on an “infected” system is, “I am a Creeper. Catch it if you can!”
Another programmer, Ray Tomlinson, who later found fame in developing email, took up the challenge by creating the world’s first antivirus software, Reaper. This software is designed to track and remove Creeper if found.
Not surprisingly, things have gotten a little more sophisticated since then. The annual cost of such attacks, fueled by a pandemic that has increased cybercrime by more than 600% worldwide, is estimated at $6 trillion annually. increase. This is a figure equivalent to 1% of the world’s GDP.
The majority of cyberattacks target small businesses, with more than two-thirds of small businesses in the United States reporting at least one incident between 2018 and 2020. The average organization experiences 130 breaches per year.
With cybercrime so prevalent and so risky, it’s no wonder cybersecurity is a top priority for Internet service providers like DirectLink.
“As long as people use personal computers, cybersecurity is an issue and DirectLink takes it very seriously,” explains marketing director Brian Strunk. “Because there are so many creative ways to exploit network weaknesses, all our employees receive regular cybersecurity training.
“Whether it is through social engineering, malware, spyware, ransomware, or other threats, as a service provider, we will address all of these and educate our communities to help them protect themselves. I am working hard for it.”
DirectLink has regularly provided community classes on issues such as cybersecurity and how to keep data and systems safe online, but Strunk also wants to give members the tools to protect themselves. I was.
To that end, DirectLink invested last year in a new cybersecurity solution, Umbrella Defense. It offers a free and comprehensive service to all members with Internet services.
Umbrella Defense works in the background without slowing down the device, preventing subscribers from accidentally visiting known websites that may contain malware, phishing, ransomware, or other threats. prevent.
Just one month after implementation, Umbrella Defense prevented over 300,000 requests from approximately 4,500 different origins from reaching DirectLink members. Most of these blocked sites contained malware.
This broad-spectrum protection works across computers, smartphones, tablets, and other connected devices, and anyone anywhere with DirectLink internet service enabled (using the free Wi-Fi connection at Canby Park) (including users who are
The Umbrella Defense system is also upgraded with continuous intelligence updates to help spot current and emerging phishing and malware threats faster than other security programs.
More information about cybersecurity and how DirectLink works to keep members and their information safe is available on the cooperative’s website (directlink.coop).
If you have any questions or need to report anything to DirectLink, call 503-266-8111 (Canby) or 503-845-2291 (Mount Angel) or email support@mydirectlink.net Please send
