- This year, February 6, 2024 will be “Safer Internet Day.”
- The 21st annual Safer Internet Day, hosted by Safer Internet Centers and INHOPE’s Insafe network, aims to shine a light on protecting children from the harms of the internet.
- Experts shared how individuals and organizations can keep themselves safe in the ever-evolving cyberspace.
Internet safety has been a long-standing concern for individuals and organizations, as it is a key element in every industry supporting communications, entertainment, development, governance and management, productivity, and more.
This concern stems from a significant number of bad eggs attempting to infiltrate and subvert and enforce normalcy within ever-expanding network resources. However, the issues at hand may extend beyond cybersecurity. In addition to cyber threats, the cover of anonymity can also cause sociological disruption.
Internet safety is therefore as much a social and psychological issue as it is a technical one. Safer Internet Day was created in 2004 to address these challenges and spread awareness about one of the most essential aspects of being online.
Safer Internet Day 2024’s theme “Togetter for a Better Internet” focuses on continuing to build on the European Union’s “Better Internet for Kids” strategy. According to Google, searches include: teen mental health It more than doubled between 2019 and 2023. parental control, Screening timeand AI for kids It continues to increase.
Scott Gerlach, co-founder and CSO of StackHawk, said: “Safer Internet Day is a reminder that security is a team sport. Collaboration between the teams that monitor suspicious activity and the teams responsible for building the applications we access every day helps ensure the security of your organization.” It fosters a foundation of trust and resilience against future security threats.” Safer Internet Day 2024 is scheduled for today, February 6th.
On Safer Internet Day 2024, Spiceworks News & Insights brings you advice from five experts on how to protect your cyber presence and maintain a healthy relationship with technology.
safer internet
A safer internet requires a positive experience where users feel part of a community. It should be empowering, not discouraging. It should unite and bridge differences, rather than become a means to further division. A safer internet would encourage support rather than bullying.
“A safer Internet is one where we can all respect each other online,” said Dave McCarthy, Microsoft’s vice president of Xbox operations, in an interview with ConnectSafely.org.
See more: See more: Data Privacy Day 2024: Expert opinions shape this week’s discussion
1. Gopi Ramamoorthy, Head of Security and GRC at Symmetry Systems, on Personal Security
Mr. Ramamoorthy emphasized the importance of keeping personal information private. Sure, you can have modern services and use user data to run your business, but you can take certain steps to prevent unrestricted access to your information.
“For end users, internet security must start with zero trust principles and a minimal information sharing approach. The core fundamental steps for end users to use the internet securely are choosing the right browser. , and strengthen security by properly setting the security and privacy settings on your browser,” said Ramamoorthy.
“Each browser provides security and privacy best practices and guidelines. The next step is to check your domain’s internal URLs and security settings. The services provided by a particular site do not rely on the information collected. Users may be able to provide masked or altered information to certain sites.
“We encourage you to take advantage of online security awareness events hosted by service organizations, schools, and local agencies to learn more and ask questions. To protect children’s online and educational privacy, COPPA, There are regulations in place, such as FERPA, and some state laws. But at the end of the day, following best practices when in a digital world comes down to each individual’s knowledge, awareness, and practice.”
2. Darren Guccione, CEO and Co-Founder of Keeper Security, talks about cyber threats
The scope of the Internet is expanding rapidly and the depth of technology is advancing in both directions. As the Internet expands, so does the scope of cyberattacks, and as technology advances, organizations don’t necessarily upgrade and continue using legacy systems. This means the potential for cyber attacks increases.
“Given the array of threats that individuals and organizations face in today’s world, a fundamentally ‘secure’ Internet is impossible.” A new study by Keeper Security found that 92% of IT security leader respondents said they It shows that attacks are more frequent and more sophisticated than they were a year ago. AI-powered attacks, deepfakes, cloud jacking, and fileless attacks appear to be the ones we are least able to defend against. It was high on the list of new attack vectors.”
“While the Internet itself always presents risks, we have developed a proactive approach to cybersecurity, combining advanced defense mechanisms with basic best practices to mitigate existing attack vectors and rapidly growing threats. By fighting back, organizations can stay safe online.”
Specifically, Guccione recommended the following:
- Password hygiene: “Leverage strong, unique passwords for all your accounts and enable strong multi-factor authentication (MFA). Credential theft has long been a leading cause of breaches and cyberattacks. It’s essential to use a password manager to create strong, random passwords for every website, application, and system.
- Email Hygiene: “Use extreme caution when opening email attachments or clicking hyperlinks. Malicious attackers are increasingly using generated AI to We create realistic phishing emails and URLs for spoofed websites and generate variants as quickly as possible to evade spam detectors.”
- Privileged Access Management (PAM): Deploying a PAM solution helps IT administrators and security personnel manage and protect privileged credentials and ensure least privileged access. This, combined with highly monitored access and activity, can significantly reduce cyber risk. If a cybercriminal has access to an organization’s network, PAM can minimize the attack surface by preventing lateral movement.
3. Patrick Ha, SlashNext CEO
Hur said advances in technology also help cybercrime syndicates, who are constantly adopting new techniques, tactics and procedures to victimize their targets. Some threat groups are known to operate on an enterprise model, making them very effective attackers. This is especially useful when leveraging new technology.
“Since its inception, the Internet has continued to bring new advances, new collaboration tools, new communities, knowledge-sharing platforms, and other tools to improve our daily lives. It’s also a breeding ground for attackers who are quick to find ways to exploit technology and innovation,” said Herr.
“A good example is the introduction of QR codes (Quick Response Codes). QR codes were first used in 1994, but have only recently begun to gain popularity and are now widely used in supply chains, marketing, Mobile payments, widely used for information sharing, have become especially popular during the global pandemic as a safe and contactless way to make payments or open restaurant menus. ”
“Just as QR codes have become more prolific, cybercriminals have developed ways to exploit them for malicious purposes. QR code phishing (kissing) and QR link jacking (QRLJacking) They exploit the trustworthiness and convenience of “instead to lure users to malicious sites, steal credentials, distribute malware, and access users’ mobile devices to steal personal and financial information.”
“Security researchers have recently observed a 50% increase in QR code-based phishing attacks. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to tell which QR codes are legitimate and which are malicious. People should not scan a randomly found QR code. If a QR code unexpectedly brings you to a login page, think twice about entering your username/password. Of course, if the QR code is If it looks like it’s been tampered with, don’t scan it. However, to fully protect against quiche and QRL jacking campaigns, use a security solution that can block all malicious QR codes in both personal and business settings. is required.”
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4. John Gallagher, Vice President, Viakoo Labs, talks about how companies can act
Gallagher believes that security is an organization-wide imperative and should extend to all business functions and departments, including non-IT staff. This day is a great opportunity to reflect on our respective cybersecurity efforts.
“Hold teams outside of IT responsible for security and reward them accordingly. This includes ensuring employees are on target through training and cross-functional team discussions on best practices. Advancing security awareness training within an organization is critical,” said Gallagher.
“Rely on automation whenever possible. Internet of Things (IoT) devices especially cannot handle password rotation, firmware patching, or certificate management using manual methods. Similarly, automated Asset and application discovery solutions take the guesswork out of security status and which systems are vulnerable.”
“Extend non-IT security audits to all parts of the organization. For example, ensure multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled and that all users are provisioned with appropriate access. Consider implementing quarterly reviews of external systems to ensure your organization’s security. Extending security audits to all systems ensures that all systems are reviewed and monitored, reducing the likelihood of cyber incidents. .”
5. Manu Singh, VP of Risk Engineering at Cowbell, talks about internet safety best practices.
Strong, unique passwords, such as those using two-factor authentication (2FA), form the foundation of your first line of defense against cyber attackers. Although passwordless is widely adopted, here are some things users should keep in mind when dealing with it online.
- “Stay informed about phishing scams: Be wary of unsolicited emails, messages, and links, especially those that request sensitive information such as passwords, credit card details, and social security numbers.
- Be careful when downloading: Download files, software, or applications only from sources you trust, such as official websites or app stores (e.g. Google Play Store, Apple App Store). Be careful with email attachments. Open only if you trust the sender.
- Keep your software and operating system up to date: Regularly update your operating system, web browser, and software applications. These updates often include security patches to address known vulnerabilities. Consider setting your computers and mobile devices to automatically download and install software updates.
- Look for HTTPS encryption. Make sure the websites you visit use HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure). Look for a padlock icon in the address bar to indicate a secure connection. Don’t enter sensitive information on websites that don’t use HTTPS. ”
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