As WE read recent articles on our CyberSecurity threats WE just shake my head. WE have been observing government actions related to Internet security for a long time and some things never change. Although the previous (Obama Administration) & current government has done some commendable jobs bringing CyberSecurity to the forefront, WE can’t help but wonder if they will actually put together a detailed plan. And if they will actually follow it, or if they will just throw money at it, hire an unqualified person to run it and then say they are winning the ‘war’. The turf war between the NSA, DoD and others, just exacerbates the situation even more.

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Our industrial IT infrastructure has been hacked and picked apart by China, Russia and others. They have taken the time to look at our weaknesses, developed a plan, and are now taking advantage of our complacency. They are literally stealing our national security secrets and cutting-edge technology that ranges from stealth technology, to new oil and gas exploration, to cosmetic formulas.

Now let’s take it to a more personal level. Guess who is a primary target for theft of information? You. And not only as you travel abroad, but as you travel from home to your local coffee shop, the library and even when you sit at home. Now how are you a victim of theft you ask? Through your wireless Internet connection at home, the one you use at the airport or coffee shop, and certainly any Internet connection you use when you travel abroad. And the real shocking thing is that you won’t even know your personal or business information has been stolen. In the information technology world, to steal your information, it just needs to be copied and not actually removed from your computer. So, even if you can still see the information on your computer, it can easily be in the hands of someone else, who is selling it to others to pose as you as they purchase items online or clean out your bank account as you sleep.

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So, you ask, what can we do about it? The answer is, educate yourself on basic Internet Security. Self-awareness is the only key to protect your personal information against data hackers. Always encrypt your Internet connection, automatically delete your cookies, encrypt your data that resides on your computer or USB devices and run a good antivirus software program on a regular basis. Wireless connections that you use, whether in your house, or at your local coffee shop or airport, are usually unprotected or have a very weak encryption algorithm. Therefore, we recommend you to not use such unprotected connections if you want to keep your data safe. Again, websites are constantly putting cookies on your PC to collect your surfing habits and other information. And talking about physical intrusion, if your laptop or USB device is lost or stolen, all your unencrypted data in the memory or storage is available to the person who either stole or found your device.

Take the protection of your personal information into your own hands. It’s your data and no one will protect it. Find an application that encrypts your Internet connection, deletes your cookies and registry, and password protects your personal information.