Tag Archive for: Corner

Death of the computer password is just around the corner, tech experts say – WSB-TV Channel 2

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If you don’t count hackers, phishers and pirates, most computer users hate passwords.

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Tech giants have been predicting the death of passwords since 2004 when Bill Gates foretold of their inevitable demise, according to a new story in Insider.

The author, Shubham Agerwal, said he tried out a beta system a few weeks ago that could be a “game changer.” It’s as easy as “signing into an iPhone” with nothing to remember or manage, he said.

Agerwal said that we’re still a long way from a password-free future, but it’s getting closer, experts agree.

The system was developed by FIDO Alliance (Fast Identity Online), formed in 2013 when Apple, Amazon, Google and other big tech companies joined forces to eliminate the antiquated password system with a system called “passkeys,” according to Insider.

Passkeys are a “replacement for passwords that provide faster, easier and more secure sign-ins to websites and apps across a user’s devices.” Passkeys are always strong, resistant to phishing, and will simplify the registration of devices, according to the FIDO alliance. They will also work on most of a user’s devices and even other devices within physical proximity, according to the group’s website.

FIDO’s mission is to shift security to technology and not users, Insider reported. Right now, it’s becoming ever more evident that passwords alone don’t work.

According to Insider, something that millions of computer users already know: passwords are ridiculously easy to crack. Hacker technology has become so sophisticated that it’s far ahead of even the latest, more complex, algorithm-driven security systems.

Users must rely only on their memory. Even the computer-generated long, complex passwords that Google and other operating systems and sites create are not totally secure.

Most humans, many of whom have dozens of sites to log onto at work, will use one password over multiple sites to save time. This leads to a domino effect when one of those passwords is compromised — all the other sites using that password can crack in a split second.

And simple, vulnerable passwords like “Password4Me” and “ABC123″ are far more prevalent than one…

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WCC Corner: How to stay cyber-safe — give malware the boot

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Jessica Griffin

Wilson Community College, in partnership with Greenlight and Gig East, is hosting a free virtual event soon, and anyone is welcome to attend. In fact, this is the fourth time we’ve partnered with them to host an event of this nature. 

“Cyber Safe in the Gigabit City v4.0: Give Malware the Boot!” is set for Thursday, Oct. 6, from 10-11:30 am.  You’ll get to hear from a panel of local business and industry experts on malware, its common infection paths, the types of information malware can steal from a compromised system and how to defend against malware.

“There are very few aspects of our lives now that do not have some type of fingerprint online. It’s more important than ever for people to be aware of ways to protect themselves from cybercriminal activity. This annual event gives our community the opportunity to hear from the best of the best on how to do just that,” said Wes Hill, dean of continuing education at WCC.

WCC’s information technology instructor, Kendra Faulkner, said, “We are so excited to continue this event for a fourth year, and even better, hear about cybersecurity from a military perspective.” 

This year’s keynote speaker is Alex Reinwald, cyber-threat intelligence division chief for the North Carolina National Guard’s Cyber Security Response Force. His previous duty assignments include Japan, South Korea, Arizona and Alaska. He holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Alabama and a master’s in geographic information science and technology from North Carolina State University. 

He has twice led the fusion and intelligence cell for the largest unclassified cyber incident response exercise in the United States. He currently holds GIAC certified incident handler, GIAC penetration tester, GIAC cyber threat intelligence and GIAC information security professional SANS certifications.

Our panelists include Fred White, network technician for the city of Wilson/Greenlight Community Broadband; Joseph Vellucci, technician/project manager for Computer Central; Nona Young, network security specialist for the N.C. Department of Information Technology; and Susan Weekley, IT…

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IoT security: Are we finally turning the corner?

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Better IoT security and data protection are long overdue. Will they go from an afterthought to everyone’s priority any time soon?

As October draws to a close, so does Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and we can all sit back and congratulate each other on a job well done and forget about the need to think about cybersecurity for another year. If only it was that simple! The need to proactively consider security every day has never been greater, especially given that the number of connected devices is predicted to grow at unprecedented levels from approximately 20 billion today to anywhere between 50 billion through to 75 billion by 2025, depending on whose estimate you believe. The broad range is probably a good indication that experts have no true prediction on how quickly people, industry and infrastructure will adopt new technology.

This growth, in part, can be attributed to increased availability of bandwidth and new generations of mobile connectivity. The implementation of 5G networks provides superior reliability with negligible latency and will extend and empower a new wave of opportunity and innovation for connected devices. The impact is likely to be witnessed in every industry: healthcare, agriculture, logistics, transportation, you name it… in fact, it’s difficult to think of an industry that will not benefit from the advanced communication that 5G offers.

Internet and Things

Today though, take a walk down the street; the growth of consumer connected devices is there to see, connected doorbells, home-security systems, connected cars and people jogging past with their smart watches and fitness trackers, through to solar panels with real-time energy efficiency monitors. It is not only consumers automating and adopting technology for convenience though; the cities we live in are also turning to technology to offer services, bike and scooter rental stations, automated visitor kiosks and such like.

Industry and infrastructure are also on board. Industrial washing machines, pumps, carts, traffic monitoring and pollution sensors demonstrate that devices…

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Is Cyber War Around the Corner? Collective Cyber Defense in the Near Future – Brookings Institution

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Is Cyber War Around the Corner? Collective Cyber Defense in the Near Future
Brookings Institution
Cyber warfare in the future might be far from what we might imagine. It is sure that a cyber war would not meet the rigid social scientific definition of “war” codified in the notable and long-standing “Correlates of War Project (COW)”[7] which …

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