If there’s one thing you probably shouldn’t admit on the internet, it’s that you’re not as secure as you should be. But in today’s blog post, I find myself doing just that. This module’s information alerted me to new ideas about what security means, what I’ve been doing wrong (and right), and some ways I can address those issues.
I’ve always been afraid of three things: having my identity stolen, losing files that are important to me, and being victim to ransomware. I rarely have nightmares, but a recurring one is something happening to my computer. But as to actually protecting myself? No, I regularly commit cardinal sins in that area. I use public Wi-Fi, don’t encrypt beyond what is automatically done for me, and I frequently click the “Sign up with Facebook” option. I have put both my real birthday and place of birth on my Facebook account. However, I don’t have an Alexa and I don’t use any gadgets (beyond my phone) that could be considered part of the “internet of things”. I rarely sign up for websites, and when I do, I vet them (though clearly, that doesn’t always make a difference).
Therefore, I would say that my biggest flaws in this area are that I like convenience and I like connecting with others. I have no desire to turn off Google’s tracking because I want ads catered to my interests. I want my Facebook friends to know basic details about me, partly because I want to find things in common with others and partly because I don’t want to be one of those people who “has something to hide”. Where is the line between protecting yourself and being uptight? I continuously struggle with finding it, and therefore struggle with cyber security in general.
That being said, this module has had some excellent suggestions that I plan on following, namely:
- Backing up my data. I have used back-up systems in the past, but the one I had finally filled up so I haven’t been as on top of that lately. Knowing my pictures and documents are backed up is one of the ways I can sleep easier at night, so I intend to remedy that situation as soon as possible.
- Getting a password manager/two-factor authentication. I’m getting better at passwords, but I know I’ll never be as good as I should be. Therefore, I intend to get a password manager as well as two-factor authentication, which will not only save time (at least in the case of the passwords), but will also increase security to my accounts.
- Being more proactive about installing updates. As Professor Gillmor discussed, installing updates on computer and phone software is very important. I tend to be lazy and click “update later”, but I’ll try to avoid that in the future.
In the end, I agree with the title screen of the last lecture: “Security is not optional (but don’t be too paranoid)”. We can put all the security measures at our disposal into place, but if the government wants to find us, we will be found. If a very determined hacker wants to find us, we’ll probably be found. I believe in covering your tracks, using common sense, and taking precautions whenever possible. But the fact is, many of these things are out of our hands. The best we can do for ourselves is to be smart rather than cocky, to set up our own corner of the internet that we control, and to never stop educating ourselves on the threats (and benefits) of the world wide web.
Thank you for following me on this blogging journey over the past 8 weeks. Hopefully you’ve gotten something out of my posts, just as I have from writing them.
Until next time,
Quinlyn
