Test Your Knowledge of Cyber Threats
How much do you really know about cyber threats like phishing and ransomware? Take our pop quiz to find out.
On August 15 and 16, the Ageno School of Business presented the Innovation in Practice seminar series about the cyber world’s risks and menaces—and how you can protect yourself. During the series, GGU’s Rao Mikkilineni spoke with Ross Millerick, moderated by Sheweet Yohannes, about cyber threats. Take our pop quiz below to test your knowledge.
True or False: Companies that house consumer data are liable for protecting user information.
FALSE. When entrusting your information to a corporation, read the fine print. Cloud computing platform Amazon Web Services (AWS), for example, explains in its terms and compliance that they do their best to protect data, but they are not liable for protecting consumer data. The consumer is responsible.
True or False: Ransomware threatens corporations and municipalities rather than individuals.
FALSE. Ransomware strikes when hackers obtain laptops or other computing resources and demand money in exchange for return of property or data. Frequently, ransomware attacks target users with an email about a fake antivirus product that activates a backdoor, allowing the hacker to steal data. Corporations, municipalities, and organizations are frequent victims, as in the RobinHood ransomware attack on the city of Baltimore in May 2019, which resulted in $10 million in recovery costs and $8 million in lost revenue. However, individuals are also vulnerable. In fact, a GGU student recently had her personal computer attacked by ransomware and lost all of her data.
True or False: Phishing accounts for 92 percent of data breaches today.
TRUE. The most common threat on the internet today, Phishing is an attempt to steal information or infect computing systems with malware and viruses. Phishing tactics include fake invoices, Dropbox lures, and DocuSign baits that may appear to be from a legitimate source but come from an email address that is slightly different than the correct address. By the end of 2019, the average user was receiving 30 phishing targets per month up from 16 per month in 2017.
Tomorrow’s attacks will be more complex than what we can imagine today. But you can protect yourself with a multi-pronged approach that includes continuous education. Change your passwords frequently and subscribe to two-factor authentication. In addition, check your credit report regularly, subscribe to an identity and theft-monitoring service, and back up your data regularly.
