Personal Internet Survival Actions

Steps you, as a user of networked devices like your computer, cell phone, iPads, etc., can take to reduce your exposure to criminal activity up to 85%. 

• Application White List: allow only specifically authorized programs to run on your systems.
• Block all unknown executable files and install routines.
• Patch, patch and patch all devices automatically on a daily basis minimum.
• Patch/update your Operating Systems automatically on a daily basis.
• Restrict admin privileges on all your devices and spend your time as a basic user while emailing, surfing and shopping, etc.
• Login as admin only you install new software or make system changes. 

• Update frequently.
• Make passwords long and complex.
• Download from only known official sites. 
• Use admin accounts with care.
• Turn off your systems when you are not using them.
• Encrypt your digital life. 
• Protect your data both in storage and in transit across the web, encrypt.
• Use common sense with all your e-mail. 
• Don’t use USB from sources other than yourself.
• Back up data frequently.
• Cover up your camera features on your computers and other networked devices.
• Sensitive browsing, i.e., do sensitive things like banking and shopping on computers that belong to you and avoid using wifi hotspots or unencrypted wifi at your home or work.
• Think, before sharing on social media and networks. Think, before sharing on social media and networks. Think, before sharing on social media and networks.
• Use the OS built in firewall. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

Goodman, Marc. “Future Crimes: Everything is Connected, Everyone is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It.” Doubleday. New York. 24 February 2015. 

Surviving the Internet of Things

The list is partial and will grow but this is a good start. It will only come about when humans/users begin to realize, through eduction and understanding, the threat and grave losses all of us incur and will incur if we don’t take corrective actions very, very soon. 

• Insist on secure software.
• Require damages for non-compliance for secure software.
• Reduce/Remove unsolicited data source storage and collection.
• Secure those data sources with same damages for non-compliance.
• Kill the password.
• Encrypt code and apps by default and apply same damages for non-compliance.
• Educate the users.
• Required layered security involving technology and humans/users, apply damages for non-compliance.
• Make cyber-security a lawful requirement with damages for non-compliance on all Internet Access, etc.
• Make cyber-security a human-centered designed oriented thinking. 
• Build more robust, responsive, and flexible defense methods for the internet, code, apps, programs, etc.
• Practice good cyber hygiene by practicing safe tech, i.e., ways to teach, train and practice by users with reminders about practicing good computer skills.
• Users take stewardship over their networks and devices, take personal responsibility and apply monetary fines when they fail.
• Provide the public with proven methods of cyber hygiene to protect themselves.
• Perform proactive network monitoring to detect infections and outbreaks of malware, etc. and apply damagers for non-compliance, etc.
• Provide global incident responses by experts as required and coordinate globally efforts to isolate sources of criminal activity by Crime, inc. and the uVerse hacking predators then levy high monetary damages for failure to comply. 
• Develop rapid-response systems for new dangers like a bioterrorism creating new biological viruses, etc. and apply monetary fines for non-compliance at levels commensurate to the business/systems funding, etc.
• Create a worthwhile incentive program and competition for global security at a level at least commensurate to that of the criminal world. 

Return often to see additions to this list, mark it with a bookmark in your browser. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

Goodman, Marc. “Future Crimes: Everything is Connected, Everyone is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It.” Doubleday. New York. 24 February 2015. 

So Little Effort

It used to be a predator had to assess their targets and would need to weigh the odds of whether they would have success or whether they would be caught.

All you had to do is use appropriate awareness, adequate knowledge and project an aura of competency, etc., that you are not an easy target and the predator would move on to easier pickings.

In our modern tech-crime era none of this applies. The ePredators just don't consider or care about the human equation, coding cannot see, hear, touch of FEEL the human conditions. There is no need to “other a target” because they already see thier efforts as a coding exercise and challenge and the humans behind those challenges in coding just don’t even exist in their minds. 

You can be a person of great skill, ability and experience in self-defense in our physical world and yet in the uVerse those traits mean nothing. The only challenge they face are getting caught and that is slim to none, in other words the rewards literally dwarf the chances of getting caught, prosecuted and jailed. 

It takes very, very little effort on a ePredator to build the code and make their move. They don’t even consider whether the protection is adequate or strong because it comes down to a matter of a few milliseconds of effort, in the code running that is no effort although it does require bandwidth and computing power, to a few seconds. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

Goodman, Marc. “Future Crimes: Everything is Connected, Everyone is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It.” Doubleday. New York. 24 February 2015. 

Eagleman, David. “The Brain: The Story of You.” Pantheon Books. New York. 2015

Biometric Identification

Don’t be fooled by the ads saying biometric identifications are foolproof, that criminals cannot compromise them because it has been proven that you can compromise them, big time.

There are a variety of clever ways it can be done both tech-wise and sneaker-wise (using sneaker much like the old sneaker-mail meme, i.e., a non-tech method of copying and using your biometrics to circumvent security protocols for nefarious purposes. 

Hey, I wear hearing aids that use bluetooth to connect to iPhone apps to control how the function and guess what, bluetooth has poor security protocols and anyone with the appropriate software can turn on your bluetooth in the aids and hear everything you hear, talk about eavesdropping, yikes!

I won’t tell you how they bypass your own fingerprints, retina prints or other biometric venues used for security but remember, the moment you add the biometric function to any security model it is hackable. 

This brings me to how you can protect your biometrics, don’t allow them to be used in tech-security. But guess what, that won’t do the trick because, if they want you they will get you so the best security is to reduce the biometric recordings to a bare minimum. In my case, I have my phone locked down to the lowest security level possible and still be useful and I don’t use the biometric finger ID feature at all. 

This is one of those “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” things. You have to assess the threats you face and decide how far you are willing to go, to gamble your life from your money to your very life itself, it is that capable and bad. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

Goodman, Marc. “Future Crimes: Everything is Connected, Everyone is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It.” Doubleday. New York. 24 February 2015. 

AT LEAST, BE INFORMED!