What Does it Mean to Be Cybersmart?

Being cybersmart is perhaps the most important asset for the general safety of society. Cybersmart-ness can be practiced by literally anyone in a digitally transformed 21st Century world, even the least tech-savvy among us. For every person on the internet every day, there really is no higher priority than being cybersmart in this day and age. Most of us will not equate being cybersmart to being something of an existential matter, but straight facts prove that having cybersmarts has become vital. Why is being cybersmart such a big deal all of a sudden, you may ask? The answer to that is that being cybersmart was always a high priority, not just now. Let’s try to imagine tying our shoes properly versus leaving the laces mangled and hanging. Obviously, the second option can make us trip and break something.

Modern-day risks that can lead to data theft and network disruption are infinitely more sophisticated than a decade ago. The internet itself is another level, as are the security and privacy-related risks that can affect us on a personal level. There is ample real-world evidence to put this into perspective; such as how the world’s largest insurance companies have officially remarked that digital crime, or cybercrime, has overtaken natural disasters in order of global risk. Even still, every day more hackers are conducting more operations online which leads to a dangerous internet environment for everyone. Yes, they are out to get you, if you are not prepared. In general, there are just so many more channels for criminals and malicious software to leak through, today, and as such there is a growing need to match that danger with the right amount of security awareness, so let’s think about becoming cybersmart.

Human Error

Our society has created some truly transformative technological advancements such as modern medicine, machines, and electricity. Later, we created the silicon chip and thus computers and eventually the internet. Little have we known that the internet, the World Wide Web, would take over our lives in almost every shape and form.

As much as the internet is one of our greatest inventions that truly transcends all boundaries, it is also one of our greatest vulnerabilities because something so vast, uncontrolled and constantly evolving cannot possibly be perfectly contained, stabilized, or most importantly secured. With such an ominous adversary that is like a predator ready to pounce at the slightest inattention, a.k.a cybercrime, we require a perfectly secure, contained, and stable environment. At the very least.

When one thinks about cybercrime, one is associated with the popular culture notion of hackers. The truth is, that’s a movie. In reality, hackers (or cybercriminals) need a vulnerable entry point to cause damage. It is very rare that they can just barge in anywhere they want because a password and firewall are there at the bare minimum. As a result, this is where human error comes in. Human error accounts for the vast majority of data security-related incidents. Human error gets the train moving, hackers only jump on that already moving train.

We all know that data is the foundation of the internet. Not just that, but it is data that we all share across the internet ocean and billions of others on the internet daily. Without data or information, there is no ‘net’ to be interacted with. A lot of the time, this very data, of which petabytes are flowing through gargantuan subterranean and ocean floor cables trans-continentally, can be vitally sensitive and highly confidential. When human error accounts for almost all security issues in the digital world, it also begs the question; do we not have systems in place that account for human error? Are people that thick? Is that not why we have made machines and algorithms so that they can calculate and process things better than we can? That would be a typical conversation. However, technically the answer to that question is much deeper and manyfold.

Misconfigurations, sabotage, lack of regular hardware and software maintenance, failure to adhere to internet best practices, and ultimately lack of cybersecurity knowledge and preparation are the key human error components that are putting all of our lives at risk. These habits and behaviors are exhibited all over the world by even the most elite organizations.

Be Cybersmart

Thankfully, encryption is one of the keys to data safety and we have developed it to high standards today, but encryption alone is far from having a complete cybersmart approach to data protection, devices, and networks. It is only one of the notches on the belt of great cybersecurity. Most data breaches occur due to weak passwords and unsafe email practices, not unencrypted drives or servers. These issues may sound simple and kindergarten-level-like, but weak passwords and phishing are some of the most popular vulnerable entry points for cybercriminals, and how can we blame them? These are the quickest ways to make some illegal gains. Using the name of your dog across all of your accounts while you blindly click on a link sent to you by a Nigerian Prince doesn’t sound exactly cybersmart, does it? Connecting your precious laptop to a random public WiFi connection? Leaving your tablet unattended in public? Browsing shady sites that are meant to damage you in some way? Sharing your password with someone on social media? The consequences should be immediately obvious.

Unfortunately, these activities are exactly what millions of people do and fall for every day, compromising their and others’ networks, not to mention credentials. Sure, not everyone is tech-savvy, but everyone does have access to a computer or smartphone these days (and by default, has access to the internet.) Not being cyber aware today is like taking off in an airplane by yourself, surging towards the sky without having spent a day in flight school.

The common narrative on everyone’s mind today is that it’s the smartphones that have ruined society and it’s social media’s fault why society is such and such. It’s all the tech companies’ fault! This is the wrong approach, after all these industries and inventions are a reflection of our collective desires to create something greater. We are the ones handing over our personal lives and our personal information on a platter to the rest of the internet. What we need to do is take the responsibility for our creations, starting with being cybersmart.

Disclaimer: No Asian Age journalist was involved in creating this content. The group also takes no responsibility for this content.