Technology is a great thing that has made many parts of our lives easier. Computers have made driving safer. Cars can alert their drivers of potential collisions before they happen and sometimes activate the breaks to avert crashes. Medical devices are high tech, surgeons can operate remotely and little computers can be implanted to fix a weak heart, the modern pacemaker. The modern door is more than just a door. Smart homes have cameras at the door bell that can see everything from a package being delivered to a family member arriving safely home and with a click of a button, you can unlock your home.
Unfortunately, technology has also facilitates bad actors. Crime is moving online. Hackers, people who attack or attempt to crack computers and technological systems, don’t have to be physically at your computer to access it. They can attack over the internet and today, computers are in everything from the traditional desktop or laptop to our phones and even less assuming devices such as fridges and home conditioning units. That smart car that stops when it detects a pedestrian and drives itself can be hacked to break abruptly or swerve into traffic. The pacemaker that regulates your heartbeat can be hacked to deliver a shock or operate erratically. Your smart door is easily unlocked, your cameras can be hacked and like in the movies, they can feed you film on loop. And anyone with access to your home automation, like the conditioning unit knows when you’re home and when you’re away on vacation.
Cybersecurity experts can make networks safer. There’s a principle of defense in depth which means layering defenses on top of each other. Computers can be hardened by with antivirus and antimalware protections. The network can be protected with software or hardware firewalls that limit access based on port numbers and whether a user is on the lan or wan. For example, if you’re not running a webserver you can block 80 and 443 to block web traffic. Authentication can be used to only allow authorized users such as requiring a passcode to use the wifi and limiting the reach of the wap to the physical premises of the building. Access can also be limited to people with a user account that only allow certain people and tracks who accesses resources.
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