GovDefenders Wednesdays: Cybersecurity Starts at the Bottom of the Totem Pole

One of the most frequently misused quotes references the bottom of the totem pole. Many people associate it with negativity - “I’m stuck at the bottom of the totem pole.” However, the bottom is one of the places you wanted to be because it was one of the most honorable positions. It was those at the bottom who everyone relied on to hold society up. Cybersecurity is no different. Those at the bottom now must help hold those at the top.

Cybersecurity’s Black Hole

The internet’s biggest advantage and its greatest disadvantage is its ability to spread information quickly. Most of the time, the information shared is beneficial, however criminals use that same instant spread of information to pass hacking tools. The Blackhole exploit kit is such a resource, and it accounts for 28% of all web threats.

GovDefenders Wednesdays: What is Ransomware & Why Is It a Threat?

The Ransomware Threat Neal Stephenson’s most recent novel REAMDE is a 1,000-page technology thriller that I recommend to those of you who enjoy complex novels. Stephenson develops the plot from the consequences of a hacker in Asia who uses ransomware to encrypt a hard drive containing a list of thousands of stolen credit card records. The hacker promises a decryption key to unlock the hard drive upon payment of a ransom fee. What the poor hacker does not realize is that the Russian mafia had previously purchased the stolen credit card data for a large sum of money and now cannot use it. As you may surmise, mayhem ensues across several continents.

GovDefenders Wednesdays: Continuous Monitoring is not like a Mobius Strip: How to get in the Loop

GovDefenders Wednesdays is a weekly written by Van Ristau, DLT Solutions’ Chief Technology Officer. Throughout the month, he’ll explore the world of public sector cybersecurity; introducing concepts, offering opinions, providing resources, and identifying ways to protect your agency. Follow Van at @VanRistau for additional news.

When a Storm Comes, Forget the Candles, Backup Your Data!

As hurricane Sandy began pummeling our nation’s capitol last night, and as everyone was busy buying batteries, candles, and water, I was reminded of data backup storage. As a species we’ve been wired to adapt to no electricity or hot water for a good number of days. We’re used to it: It wasn’t until 1891 that the White House was wired, and even then President Benjamin Harrison was too afraid to use the light switches. However, we are not wired to deal without our data. Collecting data and knowing it’s going to be there whenever we boot up our computer, tablet or smart phone – sunshine or rain – is relatively new.