With RSA Conference 2012 only a couple of weeks away, could a cyber risk be heating up an East-West cold war? This week’s Friday Five will delve into that question and four other burning topics from the past five days. In this edition, we’ll get destructive with best practices for data destruction, look at how you should handle USB devices, cover five more employee password tips and, finally, investigate whether or not hackers can destroy the internet. The countdown has officially started – only two more Friday Five’s before we meet on February 27.
Disagreements on cyber risk East-West "Cold War"
This extensive look at the East-West rift points out the differences between the West, Russia and China when it comes to cyber philosophies. “Russia and China, it seems, have little appetite to tackle data theft whilst the West has no intention of acquiescing to Russian and Chinese demands for a more controlled Internet.” The thought of a virtual cold war instantly conjures thoughts of a virtual Rocky Balboa fighting to facilitate change in cyberspace. Joking aside, this is an interesting piece that covers the arguments including a worst case scenario.
The in-depth guide to data destruction
What’s even more fun than putting something together? Tearing something apart! Well, until you realize that some of your private information was not disposed of properly and now resides in the hands of criminals or your competitors. This toolbox article provides all of the pros and cons for overwriting, degaussing and physically destroying media. Remember, you want to destroy data, not your reputation.
Twelve security best practices for USB drives
This how to guide points out that lost laptops and USB drives are the two main culprits behind data breaches. While laptops are now equipped with remote wiping capabilities, USB drives are not – anyone that has lost a USB recently can certainly attest to that fact. Creating unique serial numbers, performing backups and implementing geotagging are among the tips given on this list.
Have Your Users' Passwords Already Been Hacked?
If you know someone at work who’s been recently hacked, chances are their professional accounts are also at risk. Unfortunately, people tend to get lazy, sloppy or unimaginative with their passwords. In many cases, people use one password for multiple accounts (you know who you are). Since we’re now all on the front lines of attacks and data breaches, businesses need to take the time to educate employees on the importance of password safety.
Can Hackers Destroy The Internet?
We all love the internet and anyone that witnessed its outage on South Park has seen the implications of a long-term Internet outage. This article takes a look at the increasing number of threats affecting the Internet each year as well as predictions for 2012 and opinions on how to best police the World Wide Web. Attention Lord of the Rings fans: look to the end of page one for a paragraph dedicated to Middle Earth.