https://youtu.be/08EYFbZ6on4
Cybersecurity has evolved from a technical issue into a core management concern for companies.
During the conference “Cybersecurity: Paranoia or Necessity?”, Alan Mai, MBA—CEO of Bloka and a graduate of the International Studies Universidad ORT Uruguayat Universidad ORT Uruguayshared his perspective on the paradigm shift currently taking place in this field and offered practical advice for individuals and organizations.
The event, organized by ORT’s Digital Business Program, took place on Tuesday, June 14, in a hybrid format: some participants attended in person, while others joined online via HyFlex®.
Cyber Risk Management
The expert views cybersecurity as a practice. “It’s more than just a tool; it’s an attitude you have to adopt, a sense of responsibility you need to have.”
These days, there are many scams that rely on publicly available information. Scammers use personal data that is publicly visible without the person realizing that it could be used against them.
Cybersecurity is all about risk management. “There’s no such thing as 100% security. You can’t be 100% cyber-secure. It doesn’t exist. What we have to do is try to manage the existing risk.”
The New Hacker Paradigm
In the 1990s and early 2000s, hacking was more about what Mai described as “the prestige of hackers or a teenage fad.” That has changed today. “It’s a massive business issue that can affect anyone or any company.”
There are factors that made this paradigm shift possible and contributed to the rise of cybercrime we see today. Among them, the expert highlighted the emergence of cryptocurrencies in this industry. Today, it is much easier to monetize an attack, and doing so is much harder to trace.
Digital transformation has been a key factor in the rise of cybercrime, as there is now far more information available online than in the past. “Conversely, this means there are a great many people willing to target those assets to make money.”
The prevalence of cybercrime
It seems logical that they would target a bank, but it seems unlikely “that they would target us.” However, what actually happens is that larger, more prominent organizations tend to have larger budgets for defending themselves.
The expert emphasized that people often tend to think of cybercrime as something that happens far away, when in fact it occurs frequently in Uruguay and is “widespread.”
Practical Cybersecurity Tips
Mai pointed out that, to protect themselves, individuals and organizations must be aware that cybercrime is a frequent occurrence and take steps to prevent it.
He pointed out that it’s very easy to crack a password these days. To prevent this, he recommended using two-factor authentication.
“What this does is require users to not only know their username and password but also to prove their identity through two-factor authentication. In addition to the password, users must provide a second authentication factor, such as a cell phone. Implementing this is essential today; it’s very accessible and, even for personal use, it’s free,” said the expert.
“All you have to do, for example, is go to WhatsApp’s security settings and set up two-factor authentication,” Mai said, adding: “The same goes for any service that offers this feature. I’m asking you to do this because there’s no reason not to. It’s an incredibly powerful tool that ’s available to all of us.”