What’s Your Personal Risk of Being Hacked?
By Dr. Ron L. Booth
Faculty Member, School of STEM at American Public University
Most of us have heard about the large data breaches at places like Home Depot, Target, and some other very large retailers. Another large data breach that made recent headlines is the successful hack of the Office of Personnel Management, which handles large amounts of sensitive personal information for millions of U.S. citizens that work for the government and currently have, or once had, a security clearance.
According to the Travelers Insurance Consumer Risk Index 2015 survey, 57% of Americans surveyed are worried about cyber, computer technology, data breaches, and risks. Kelly Jackson said that “One in four U.S. consumers have been a victim of a data breach or cyberattack, according to the survey which gauges perception of risk of Americans in their daily lives. The survey found that privacy, identify theft, and cyber risks are just behind financial worries as the biggest concerns today, and ahead of personal and physical safety.”
What about the cybersecurity vulnerabilities and events of which you may not be aware? For example:
Can your home security system be hacked? Yes. What about home “Smart” devices? YES.
- A Wireless Home Security System can be hacked. All the wireless alarm systems Travelers examined rely on radio frequency signals sent between door and window sensors to a control system that triggers an alarm when any of these entryways are breached. The problem is that the signals can also be jammed to prevent them from tripping an alarm by sending radio noise to prevent the signal from getting through from sensors to the control panel.
- It took security researchers less than 20 minutes to hack into “Smart” home appliances.
Can your car’s electronics be hacked? YES.
- A hacker can kill your engine while you are driving.
- There are nine cars at risk for a cyberattack.
- Can a car or a plane be hacked? In July 2015, two security experts went public with details about how they can remotely tap into the Chrysler infotainment system, and then jump over into the car’s core controls.
Is your money in the stock market — 401-K? If so, can the NASDAQ exchange be hacked? YES.
- According to Michael Riley, the NASDAQ has already been successfully hacked.
- In May 2000 the stock market plunged 1,000 points because of a “technical glitch”. Was it really a glitch or could it have been a hacker?
Can your cell phone be hacked? YES.
- “Smart Phones can easily be hacked using cheap or free software applications with all of the necessary information available for free online. Since smartphones have operating systems similar to computers, a successful hack will give hackers complete control of the device, from calls, to texts, to applications like Facebook and mobile banking.”
Based on the information above what do you believe your personal level of risk is for either being maliciously hacked or being affected by a hacker accessing technology on which you depend? It is necessary in today’s world if you utilize and depend on technology to ensure that you understand how to protect yourself. It takes very little time to research “how to keep your personal computer safe”. The reason personal computers are not listed above is that if you have not already researched how to protect your personal computer then you have most likely already experienced hacking and have no doubt done something to address your risk.
About the Author
Ron L. Booth, Ph.D., CISM is an Adjunct Professor of Information Technology at the School of STEM in American Public University System. He holds a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification from the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). Besides teaching, he is a Vice President and Management Consultant for an Engineering Consulting firm.
