In the next installment of Sounds Good's Cyber Bytes series, Tracy Ross and Dr. Michael Ramage, director of Murray State's Cyber Education and Research Center, discuss the effects of war on cybersecurity and how to better protect oneself from cyber attacks during times of political conflict. (However, Ramage begins by clarifying that cyber attacks become likelier during any major global event, whether it's a negative one, like the start of a war, or a positive one, like the Olympics.)
In either case, Ramage says that social media has become an increasingly popular platform for cyber attacks. These bad actors can appear as social media posts expressing a specific opinion on a conflict, political issue, or other hot-button topic. Posts are specifically designed to appeal to someone's confirmation bias, no matter which side of an issue they're on. The more strongly a person feels about the subject matter of the post, the likelier they are to reshare it, click links, and make themselves vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Ramage says there are multiple kinds of cyber attackers, all with different motivations. There are political wartime motivations to damage critical infrastructure, such as power, water, telecommunications, internet, manufacturing, gas, and energy. Then, there are cyber attackers who want to promote chaos by disrupting daily lives on small and large scales alike. Finally, there are criminal organizations with no conflict-driven motivations who are simply conducting these cyber attacks to make money illegally.
"We need to be on the alert," Ramage says. "We should always be suspicious and assume a scam, and always assume that it's a threat actor that's trying to get us to do something. Frankly, no more than ever, while this fog of war is occurring."
Ramage says the best way to fortify oneself against cyber attacks, especially in wartime, is to avoid sharing political opinions of any kind online. Be wary of anything you read on social media, and unless you can readily verify that a link leads to a safe, reputable website, avoid resharing or opening unfamiliar links. Finally, two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection that Ramage strongly recommends.
To read more "Cyber Bytes" stories, click here. To find out more information about Murray State's Cyber Education and Research Center, visit its website.
