| This week I’d like to return to your favorite topic of cybersecurity. Please don’t hit delete just yet! I promise to make it a fun read. I’ll even talk about lasagna and its delicious layers later on!
Some of you may be saying, okay we get it, security is important, but why are will still talking about it? Well, keeping you up to speed on new threats lurking in the shadows is our duty. Plus, during our conversations, I continue to hear responses on cybersecurity such as:
- We don’t need strong security
- We don’t deal with any sensitive information
- MACs are already secure (thankfully most Windows users don’t fall for this one)
- I have been in business for x number of years and nothing bad happened so far
- If we have a breach, we can deal with it then
- Let’s talk about increasing security at our next meeting for the fiscal year
- We are busy right now and can’t deal with improving our security
- Why can’t you just take care of it for us, we don’t need to know
A friendly but important reminder: Hacking today is considered a profession for many unemployed people around the world. Cybersecurity is no longer about kids breaking into things for fun or professional hackers going after large institutions for valuable data. Instead, small groups of people or individuals seek ways of extracting quick cash as a means of living, using simple tools that are easily accessible online. It takes minimal effort to gain access to someone’s email account to start a conversation about something they are familiar with to extract money in a moment of weakness. The same is true for computers. Weaknesses and hacks for operating systems like Windows and MAC are frequently posted on open-access websites where even people with limited skills can use the information to record your keystrokes, steal information to use against you, or simply break things for fun.
What do cybersecurity and lasagna have in common? The layers! When you sit at a table with a slice of lasagna, a quick bite is not enough to get through it all – you must be committed. Same applies to cybersecurity. Most bad actors use easy tricks found online, which are only clever enough for a quick bite. If you ensure your systems are secured with layers, you will be a hard target to chew. Let me give you another one of my favorite analogies. If you live in a home, you probably lock your door as well as flip the deadbolt. Maybe even turn on the alarm. That’s 3 layers of security. If you live in a condo, you may even have a doorman. That’s four layers!
What are the layers of our cybersecurity services? When it comes to email security, we deploy two unique layers of security, each with two internal layers. This puts a total of 4 layers between you and the bad actors. When it comes to computer security, we go even further. Our malware protection software consists of a definition database against known threats and monitoring of suspicious activity. Our DNS filtering and firewall works similarly. This adds up to 6 layers of protection. Impenetrable? No! Large institutions enforce much stricter security policies with many more layers and still get hacked. Layers make you difficult to chew and less likely to be targeted, but they do not make you impossible to swallow.
In conclusion, you are one specific odd behavior detection feature or security definition update away from being breached at any given time. As always, my team and I will continue to monitor the shadows and keep an eye on the layers and fillings of your security stack.
I appreciate you taking the time to read and take cybersecurity seriously. You deserve to be rewarded! Here is my favorite lasagna recipe with a twist.
– Burak Sarac, Team Lead
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