10 Ways YOU Can Fight Cyber Attacks - Episode 7
It's never been easier to fall foul of Cyber Attacks than right now…
As the world continues its perpetual shift to an always-online ecosystem, even those with no coding skills can initiate a hack within minutes.
Whether it's small-scale leaks of your personal files, or a coordinated attack on HBO demanding $6m for Game of Thrones' final season not to be released to the world, it seems like the risk of being hacked looms ever-closer.
It's time to arm yourself with the tools to fight back. In this episode, we'll be looking at the biggest dangers to be aware of, who's most at risk, and the 10 things you should do RIGHT NOW to protect yourself.
This episode of Disconnected covers:
The distressingly vast range of ransomware available to hackers
Who's most at risk of being targeted
10 tips to protect yourself online right now
Episode Highlights:
“A ransomware attack shut down a top US gas pipeline in May. The very notion that there might be a shortage on the east coast of America sent the region into chaos. Huge queues at gas stations in that part of the States with people desperate to fill up their cars.” - 01:16 - 01:32 - Jag Sharma
“Ransomware attacks have quadrupled in the past year alone, with total payouts estimated at close to $400m in that time period. It's become a big business. Attackers are largely indiscriminate when it comes to industry; professional services, public services and manufacturing are the three industries most hit by ransomware attacks, followed closely by healthcare, technology and finance.” - 02:38 - 03:09 - Jag Sharma
“Have you got a smart meter in your home to regulate your electricity and heating usage? Well, hackers have been known to hack home smart meters and crank the temperature right up until you pay up their demands.” - 04:49 - 05:05 - Jag Sharma
“Stop thinking you're too smart to be hacked. It's not just your grandmother, or ill-prepared corporations that get hacked. It's often people who think that they are too smart to be fooled by a phishing email, a random call or text message, that are the ones who end up getting hacked. Don't end up with egg on your face; there's nothing to lose through a little extra care and attention to your online safety.” - 13:52 - 14:21 - Jag Sharma
“Russia will not prosecute hackers based in Russia that hack exclusively outside Russian borders, nor will they support prosecution requests from other governments. So if Russian hackers don't make trouble at home, then they won't be prosecuted for the trouble they cause abroad.” - 07:40 - 08:01 - Jag Sharma
“For companies that don't pay the ransom, they often find that the cost for recovery after not paying and losing the data is greater than if they just paid the ransom in the first place. So if governments are ill-prepared for attacks against big businesses, then it's highly likely that they are even less well prepared to help out individuals.” - 08:41 - 09:04 - Jag Sharma
“Avoid clicking on links in spam messages, or on unknown websites. If you click on malicious links, an automatic download could be started, which could lead to your computer being infected.” - 09:33 - 09:47 - Jag Sharma
“Being a ransomware victim seems to definitely be a moment of realisation. A moment of realisation that the things you thought you were protected from, the layers that you had in place, that they had worked around them. They customised their attack to you, and wrote systems to infiltrate, and destroy.” - 14:54 - 15:18 - Jag Sharma
Links & references:
Jag Sharma: