Greg Price

National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2019

Posted on October 4, 2019October 17, 2019 by Greg Price in Articles

Observed every October, National Cyber Security Awareness Month is committed to encouraging personal accountability, securing behaviors, and maintaining digital privacy in our ever-changing and connected world. The initiative was created as a joint effort between the US government and industry to foster access to resources that advocate methods for staying safe online, as well as securing your personal information.

For 2019, the theme will emphasize personal accountability and promote the significance of being proactive in securing your cybersecurity at home and at work. The theme for 2019 is Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT.

“Own IT” suggests that you should understand completely your digital profile, or, your digital footprint.

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My robot tried to kill me

Posted on September 27, 2019October 17, 2019 by Greg Price in Articles

This article was originally published in The Troy Messenger on September 27, 2019.

When I was a child, my fascination for mechanical devices took root at an early age. My father always seemed to be working on something. He was always working on a vehicle, a piece of equipment, something around the house: he was rarely without a collection of tools and something under repair. My apprenticeship, of sorts, began with the tools.

I learned the names of the various wrenches and other objects. My father would ask for one, I would hand it to him. Over time, my level of interaction increased. Until one day, while we were conducting a bit of Southern delight, shade tree mechanic work, my father told me to handle a repair while he went to the auto parts store to collect a part for another project.

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Ten habits to avoid data loss

Posted on September 20, 2019October 17, 2019 by Greg Price in Articles

This article was originally published in The Troy Messenger on September 20, 2019.

Recently, I worked with a group who suffered an enormous data breach. The company realized something odd was afoot when payroll checks began to bounce.

In the security world, we often describe this type of breach discovery as “third-party” notification. In other words, someone not directly involved in the company’s operations informed the company of an issue. Also, many of us call this a resume-building opportunity.

I took a quick look at the core operations and assisted the IT team with a hasty inspection. In short, the company owned many security products, employed lots of tools. The board of directors wanted a single variable to surface as the reason for the loss of funds. However, a single smoking gun didn’t exist. The motive was simple: steal money. The success of the theft revealed numerous issues in the company’s execution of technology and associated protective measures. Below, I offer a list of the most common issues that I observe from similar events.

Let’s call these our top 10 habits to avoid data loss.

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Facebook officially adds dating service

Posted on September 13, 2019October 17, 2019 by Greg Price in Articles

This article was originally published in The Troy Messenger on September 13, 2019.

Last week, to some fanfare, Facebook announced the launch of Facebook Dating in the United States. I admit when I saw the press release, I wasn’t shocked.

First, let’s be honest, Facebook has been a dating platform unofficially for a long time. If you’re unaware of folks who use the service to scout would-be romantic partners, you’re not very observant. In fact, I suspect you’ve all heard someone say, “I’ll check them out on Facebook first,” when a prospective dating opportunity surfaces.

Given the number of divorce cases that I’ve assisted attorneys with over the past decade, Facebook might also be not only a “dating platform”, but rather a conduit for divorce. With the rise of FOMO (fear of missing out) among dedicated users of social media services, the anxiety of not being able to participate in an upcoming event, might also include the fear of missing out on the next best partner.

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Cybersecurity travel tips

Posted on July 3, 2019October 17, 2019 by Greg Price in Articles

This article was originally published in The Troy Messenger on June 28, 2019.

Now that summer is here, the sweltering heat has enveloped the South, and, of course, we begin heading to even hotter destinations: gulf coast beaches. Often, when we discuss cybersecurity protection tips, we employ those actions at work, or, at home. However, given our ever-growing use of mobile technology, it is just as important to practice safe computing practices whenever you are on the go – especially when travelling.

Our minds make things easier for us through the use of efficient thinking strategies, sometimes called “shortcuts in the brain.” These shortcuts help us make decisions very quickly, without having to stop, research, and spend a lot of time analyzing data. One of the heuristics that I find interesting is social proof.

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Florida city held hostage by hackers

Posted on June 23, 2019October 17, 2019 by Greg Price in Articles

This article was originally published in The Troy Messenger on June 21, 2019.

On the extreme eastern coast of Florida, near West Palm Beach, sits Riviera Beach, a city of over thirty-two thousand. I visited the city several years ago and learned that Burt Reynolds lived there as a child and his father was once the Riviera Beach Chief of Police.

For the past three weeks, the city has been held hostage by a group of hackers.

Essentially, all city operations have stalled to a crawl. Where paper can be used, it is. However, many of the online operations cannot be replaced with paper; those remain offline. No email, paper payroll checks, no phones, water pump stations went offline, police officers began processing everything with paper, city operations grinded to a halt on 29 May 2019.

What happened?

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What’s up with WhatsApp?

Posted on June 4, 2019October 17, 2019 by Greg Price in Articles

This article was originally published in The Troy Messenger on June 4, 2019.

Are the bad guys winning? Or have software designers gotten lazy?

Either way, it’s been a rough year for technology enthusiasts. With each day, another substantial hack appears, and not a run-of-the-mill hack either. We’ve witnessed large and complex hacks this year, all of which suggest the bad guys are winning. And we’re all losing.

I was eating breakfast at a local restaurant last Saturday when another patron dropped by my table and asked me a seemingly simple question, “Is there any way to really secure electronic data?”

In security, we often discuss striking balance. The short answer to the question is yes. Most security practitioners can secure electronic data completely. However, the means to accomplish such an effort would tip the scales far away from usability. We are often in a delicate dance, trying to provide easy access to electronic information and service while safeguarding the desired data.

Nowadays, the best defense is taking security into your own hands.

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Are ‘Whispered’ secrets really private?

Posted on May 31, 2019October 17, 2019 by Greg Price in Articles

This article was originally published in The Troy Messenger on May 31, 2019.

The popularity of social media sites is obvious. However, as their popularity increased, many became concerned about the over-sharing of personal information. In particular, many security advocates highlighted the potential dangers for misuse and abuse of the both the technology and data among our youth.

As a result, several years ago, a new variety of social media services appeared: anonymous social media.

One of the primary ideas behind anonymous social media efforts was to promote self-expression, without fear of retaliation. However, that ideal, despite its merits, often took a backseat to cyber-bullying, public defamation, and a wide-variety of other attacks that polluted the environments. In fact, the lack of account creation and the allure of anonymity seemed to promote immoral and unethical behavior among the sites and apps.

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Tales of a virtual kidnapper

Posted on May 24, 2019September 27, 2019 by Greg Price in Articles

On the fourth attempt, I decided to answer, and very quickly mute the call and place on speaker. I figured the robotic voice would proclaim vigorously the horrors of allowing my car warranty to expire. Then, I’d hang up.

Only that’s not what happened.

The voice was quick and exact: “Do not hang up. I have control of your banking account.” …Read Full Article

Will my computer kill me?

Posted on April 8, 2019September 27, 2019 by Greg Price in Articles

Science fiction writers have written for years about the nightmares of technology that runs amuck. Whether you favor the apocalyptic scenarios of devices becoming sentient and overtaking humans or the destruction of our world through wide-spread use of technologies that foster environmental disasters, I imagine we all harbor a bit of fear of the rise of the machines.

I’ve written and spoken about security and end-user technology for quite a while. In our current efforts, security is a continuous process: we must constantly expend resources to tighten controls, install patches and review the delicate balance between too much security and usability. Patching is one of those annoyances that will not go away. However, recently, I was reviewing notes from a very large patching effort and an observation frightened me. …Read Full Article