Cyber Attacks & Ransomware: Is There No End?

It is hard to not worry about the safety of our inner-connected world. Malware, ransomware, hackers, phishing, trolls....the list of people and organizations who want to make our life difficult, dangerous, and expensive seems to grow as quickly as algae in a backyard swimming pool. On average, there are 244 new cyber threats a day. I am a humble example, as my post of a few months ago made clear when a hacker broke into my computer.

Your patient information from your health insurer, or financial details ripped from your credit card company are fair game. Disabling a hospital's admittance system for an entire country happened this past summer. And, don't even get me started on Equifax. Making money off my private information, giving me no way to "opt out," and then losing it all. Enough!

If you follow even the most basic of common sense steps, the odds of your home computer becoming someone else's to control are increasingly possible. Those who decided to hack into my computer found nothing of interest unless they love scrolling through tens of thousands of photos of our vacations. Passwords are not stored there, nor is any critical personal information. 

If someone held my files for ransom, I'd simply use that as an excuse to get a new computer. They'd never get a penny (or Bitcoin) from me. So, I assume the reason for all the malware stuffed into my system was to seize control of my computer and use it to send out attacks to others. Scary stuff.

That should really be one of our biggest concerns: that our computers can be used to infect others. My system (and yours) could be used to send out millions of e-mails in giant phishing waves or denial of service attacks on businesses or governments. We would be part of the problem, but completely oblivious. 

Personally, I  upgraded to a more secure router to add a little more protection. . I discontinued the automatic printer ink monitoring service offered by a certain company. Allowing them to enter my home system to read ink levels on a printer seemed too risky in today's environment. I change passwords on a regular basis. I added a new malware protection software program. Even so, I know I am not safe. Maybe changing to Apple products would help, but even Macs are now being hacked; read about the Fruitfly malware or realize that viruses can breach the Apple defenses. Own a computer and you are vulnerable.

Actually, my biggest fear is much more global. Everything in our daily lives is linked to computer systems. The news reports make it quite clear none of them is secure enough to stop a dedicated attack. The havoc that is possible if businesses or hospitals, air transport systems or government agencies are compromised is serious. 

What keeps me up at night is the very real likelihood of a successful breach of the systems that control our electric grids, water treatment plants, or oil pipelines. If (or when) this happens, we will have crossed the line from irritating, embarrassing, and expensive, to life-threatening.

There is absolutely nothing I can do about this type of attack on our way of life. I have to believe others, smarter than I, are dedicating serious time and effort to making these events stay where they belong: in a fiction novel. 

It is impossible to disconnect from our interconnected world. What I must do is be aware of what is happening, protect my little corner of the world the best that I can, and then lead my life as I choose. The benefits of having the Internet and all it brings still outweigh the risks.

What about you? Have you done anything to protect yourself as best you can? Have you altered how you use computers? What happens when you find out a company that holds your credit card info has been hacked? What was your reaction to the Equifax disaster? What can you do about it? 

This is one area where, literally, we are all in this together. Let's share and discuss.


Note: As I write this a new ransomware attack, Bad Rabbit, has targeted Russia, Ukraine, was well as other eastern European countries, Japan, and the U.S. There really is no end in sight.