Why Cyber Security Is a Daily Threat to Every Business

Boy, it's my business but am I getting tired of this crap! This morning, I received an e-mail from US Bank stating that "your account experienced what appears to be an unauthorized login attempt".  Please click in the following link to update your security information. The impulse was strong to immediately click on their link. I then recalled that the only relationship I ever had was with US Bank was a short term start-up business that I had dissolved years ago.

As a Cyber threat Consultant, this is my business. I checked the link and it turned out to be disguised and a well known "Phising" site. Phising is a ploy where the bad guys try to trick the gullible public into providing them with your personal information that they can later exploit. If you ever receive and e-mail like this and do bank with the entity they are representing, never click on any links provided in your e-mail. Instead, launch a new browser and pull up your bank that way. Another trick is to run your mouse over the return e-mail address. It's usually bogus if you look carefully.

The United States just accused Russia for the latest "NotPetya Global Cyber attacks". It is believed that these were developed to be used against the Ukraine initially, but have since gone global. Previously, it was the "WannaCry Ransomware threat that the US accused North Korea of perpetrating. 

If these countries were using sarin, mustard gas, or other heinous chemical weapons, we would never condone it or resort to using these in retaliation. As cyber crime is more covert and hard to prove, we need to shut up and show the bad guys who is their daddy. Let's not be naive. Who invented the internet and has been it's biggest pioneer? We have allegedly used it as a weapon, probably more than once. The stuxnet virus, attacked Iran's centrifuges as well as a nuclear reactor in Russia. Iran blamed the Israelis and the US who both obviously denied knowing anything about this. This is real life James Bond stuff and will likely launch a few good novels and movies. Have you had any bogus attempts to divulge your personal information?