Expert shares 6 simple steps to combat cybersecurity breaches

Amid the emerging threat of cybersecurity breaches, Marc Goodman, founder of Future Crimes Institute and among the world’s top web-security experts, shared six simple steps to avoid 85 percent of the most common digital threats online.

Goodman, who also chairs the Policy, Law and Ethics at Silicon Valley’s Singularity University, spoke last Wednesday at the “Forum on Cyber Security & The Internet of Things.”

The event was organized by Global Chamber Manila and held at the Enderun Colleges in McKinley Hill, Taguig City,

At the forum, which was attended by hundreds of representatives from the public and private sector, Goodman shared a six-step protocol called “UPDATE,” which he described as the “digital equivalent of locking your front door and not leaving your keys in the car.”

Marc Goodman (Photo from his Twitter account)

1. Update frequently: Modern programs are usually riddled with bugs that could be used by hackers to break into someone’s devices. Updating software from trusted parties could help minimize these attacks.

2. Passwords: Use strong and unique passwords in all your websites – that is, those with 20 characters or more – and use of two-factor authentication.

3. Download: To protect your information, download only from trusted websites and parties and avoid suspicious websites.

4. Administrator login in account. “Administrator login accounts have the highest level of privilege to make changes on your computer,” Goodman said. “Instead, create a separate standard user account to perform the majority of your work and online browsing.”

5. Turn-off: Turn off your computer or at least your Wi-Fi connection when not in use. “Thieves cannot reach out and touch your machine when not connected to the Internet,” Goodman said.

6. Encrypt: As an added layer of security, use virtual private networks (VPN) and set passwords on your devices.

Goodman stressed the need to be vigilant in ensuring your information and identity could not be breached, considering that a typical antivirus software could catch only 5 percent of new threats and 80 percent of hackers “now working with organized crime.”

In the last 20 years, Goodman has built an expertise in international cybercrime and terrorism, working with organizations like the Interpol, the UN Counter Terrorism Task Force, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the US government. /atm