On Tuesday, August 3, I attended an Internet security summit for journalists in San Francisco hosted by Kaspersky Internet security software.
The agenda covered commercial as well as personal matters of cyber security. What fascinated me is how in the network culture individual and common good intersect.
Discussion of the Stuxnet worm gaining access to our water and power systems typifies this point.
The Stuxnet worm is malware, or special code designed to highjack or sabotage the command and control system of a public works (such as water and power), which is closed to the Internet and therefore considered cyber secure.
The Stuxnet worm gains access to these secure systems through engineers loading and transferring data on flash drives or “sticks”.
Basically, authorized operators unknowingly carry the malware into the closed, secure system proving again that a chain is as strong as it’s weakest link. If the individual is not taking proactive measures to ensure that transference of data and information off-line via disks and flash drives does not contain harmful code, then the secure, closed system is compromised.
This is also true for our homes.
As the journalist representing the family perspective at this summit, it was clear that every family member with access to cyber technology must be educated on the cyber security measures that require human discernment and judgment.
Managing a secure network from home can be challenging, especially with all the gadgets and tools available to access the Internet from video games to smart phones. So this examiner, as the creator of Banana Moments, is partnering with the Placer Sheriff Department to offer a series of free classes for parents to better understand cyber citizenship and why it matters to the personal security of our children.
Future columns will post more information about the classes, dates and locations.
Parent Resources
Banana Moments
Placer County Sheriff
Kaspersky (Surewest)
(Note Kaspersky Internet Security software is offered to Surewest customers at no additional charge.)
(Ref: 340-e)
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