Does understanding Cyber "STUFF" have to be hard?
Better yet, "What the heck IS Cyber?"
Since retiring from the FBI I have worked to blend my passion for cybersecurity and education to try and help people be “CyBUr Smart”. Yes, that is a branding thing (BU - is short for bureau, as in Federal Bureau of Investigation), but it works (I like to think).
But what does it mean to “CyBUr Smart” and is it hard (spoiler - it is not)? Basically, it means 1) Understanding the cyber threats targeting you, 2) Assessing your risk (for whatever online-associated activity you are engaged in, and 3) Proceeding wisely. If you don’t do #1, you can’t do #2 and #3, so let’s look at that specifically.
Understanding the cyber threats targeting you starts with knowing and believing that cyber threats ARE targeting you (guess what - they are). In my time in the FBI I spoke to TOO many victims who thought that they were to small for any cybercriminal to target them AND/OR they didn’t have anything any hacker would want. I often talk about “crown jewels”. If you are a business it is your intellectual property, your customer data, your money, or anything else you value that, if stolen, would damage your business. Personally, your crown jewels are your passwords, your credentials, your money, again, anything you value.
Maybe, I should backtrack a bit to address the subheadline: “What the heck is Cyber?” Ask 10 people and you’ll get 9 answers (because someone will have used ChatGPT to get an answer and it will be one of the other 9 answers.) According to Merriam-Webster cyber is: of, relating to, or involving computers or computer networks (such as the Internet). When it comes to cybercrime, it is essentially the use of computers to commit crimes or crimes targeting computers and the data within said computer. For the sake of those outside the cybersecurity community, the MW definition pretty much fits all needs for understanding what “cyber” is. There is really no need to overthink it honestly.
So now that we have gotten the cyber definition out of the way, let’s return to the main topic of understanding all this cyber stuff. If you are reading this post (and thank you for making it this far) it really is as simple as following cybersecurity experts on any of a variety of social media sites. LinkedIn is really your best place to start. But Instagram and Facebook have groups that can give you “cyber” insights as well. AVOID TIK TOK (that will be its own diatribe.)
There are plenty of free online resources that can help you obtain cyber intelligence. That is a fancy term that, in this cyber world, is synonymous with cyber information. Just start reading and paying attention. Find experts that speak to your particular style of learning. Youtube has TONS of cyber experts that give diagrams, and such if you prefer watching to learn. I have tried some youtube stuff, but with a face for radio, that is why I spend more cycles with writing and Podcasts (thank you for supporting those efforts). Substack and social media posts are great for those who learn by reading. You don’t have to spend hours and hours on learning this information. There are those of use in this space that will condense it down to the basics you need. Follow the ones yo like, and very quickly you will be on the road to becoming CyBUr Smart.
If you ever have cyber questions or concerns, feel free to email me anytime. If I can help I will, if I can’t hopefully I can find someone who can.
Get a little CyBUr Smarter and you’ll be a whole lot CyBUr Safer.
Darren
linkedin.com/in/darrenmott
instagram.com/thecyburguy
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050113752067
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkhQ8MLZgjstYoq-_mS1c0w