National Cybersecurity Alliance In The News

When it comes to dangerous things, the U.S. government has some pretty clever taglines and mascots. We all remember the bear with a big yellow hat who alerted to the perils of leaving a fire burning at a campsite. And the "buckle up for safety" PSA has been making the rounds for decades. But there are a number of intangible threats that aren't given the same attention as fire or car safety -- and that needs to change, according to Michael Kaiser, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance.

Traveling over the holidays can be stressful, but it can be even worse if you end up getting hacked, lose your travel information or forget your smartphone in the airport lounge.

’Tis the season to be jolly — but it’s also the season for identity theft, phishing and credit card fraud. With Christmas just days away, people are using their smartphones and other devices to get a handle on their last-minute shopping. Hackers are on the hunt as well, looking to steal personal information from easy targets.

The Russians are coming — again. So are the Chinese, the North Koreans, and an array of international bad actors, threatening American security — not with nuclear weapons but with computer hacks. The latest Russian gambit might even have tipped the recent presidential election toward Donald Trump.

As cybercrime continues to take newer forms and adapt against even advanced cyber defence systems, cyber criminals are also adapting further into societal trends. The question of Nigeria’s strength or vulnerability remains a constant bug in the face of its growing technology-driven economy, where developed countries are continuously kept on their toes.

Michael Kaiser, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), presented “Creating a Culture of Cybersecurity” on Thursday at EDUCAUSE 2016, sharing tips with attendees to improve the effectiveness of security messaging on their campuses.

Cybercriminals are selling databases of stolen medical records at a discount perhaps due to a glut of pilfered patient information available on underground web markets, according to a report from Intel Security.

Sitting in a cybersecurity conference days after a massive cyberattack is a surreal feeling. In the midst of Cyber Security Awareness Month, the whole world is now looking with eyes wide open at Internet of Things (IoT) security after the historic distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack perpetrated by the Mirai botnet targeted these insecure gadgets.

Your internet-linked baby monitor may be participating in a major cyber-attack, and you don’t even know it. While experts have been warning for some time that the proliferation of devices that make up the Internet of Things (IoT) -- like web-connected baby monitors, cars, smart speakers, DVRs and even cars -- posed a new threat in cyberspace, a major cyber-attack on Friday has given new impetus to calls to bolster the security of the devices, which are more popular than ever.

The Internet of things is dangerous. If anyone had doubts, just consider what happened on Friday when hackers took over millions of web-connected devices—security cameras, routers, and so on—and instructed them to knock out parts of the Internet.