iPad Vampires: 7 Simple Security Settings to Stop Data Suckers
Information is the currency and lifeblood of the modern economy and, unlike the industrial revolution, data doesn’t shut down at dinnertime. As a result, the trend is towards hyper-mobile computing – smartphones and tablets – that connect us to the Internet and a limitless transfusion of information 24-7. It is an addiction that employers encourage because it inevitably means that we are working after hours (scanning emails in bed rather than catching up with our spouse).
In the work we do to change the culture of privacy inside of organizations, we have discovered a dilemma: iPads are not as secure as other forms of computing and are leaking significant amounts of organizational data to corporate spies, data thieves and even competing economies (China, for example, which would dearly love to pirate the recipe for your secret sauce). Do corporations, then, sacrifice security for the sake of efficiency, privacy for the powerful touch screens that offer a jugular of sensitive information?
Of course not! That’d be like driving a race car minus seat belts and air bags.
iPads provide a competitive advantage, and like generations of tools before it (the cotton gin, the PC), individuals and organizations alike will be forced to learn how to operate this equipment safely or risk the bite of intellectual property vampires. Here are 7 Simple Security Settings to help you lock down your iPad much like you would your laptop.
U.S. is Dumb About Smart Cards
The typical US consumer still swipes their card, credit or debit, with those same old black magnetic stripes. And, we hold our breath and hope they work, and don’t lead to erroneous (fraudulent) charges we have to defend. The rest of the world has switched to Smart cards, according to Peter Svensson, The Associated Press, in The Denver Post. “The problem with that black magnetic stripe on the back of your card is that it’s about as secure as writing your account information on a post-card”.
Svensson comments “Smart-cards (chip-based cards) can’t be copied, which greatly reduces the potential for fraud. Smart cards with built-in chips are the equivalent of a safe: They can hide information so it can be unlocked only with the right key”.
This begs the question, why is the US lagging in this technology? How do we re-vamp our system to promote smart-card transactions? Some experts maintain that it is a lack of demand by everyone from consumers and issuing banks to retail establishments. In essence, we don’t want the added security. This, of course, is just a smoke screen to obscure the underlying issue: no one wants to pay for it. Consumer don’t feel like they should pay for the technology (through higher card fees) even if it makes them safer (Haven’t we always been pretty safe?). Banks don’t want to pay to issue higher-cost cards with chip technology (they probably think it is cheaper to weather the costs of fraud – it is not). And retailers don’t want the added expense of new, more sophisticated equipment.
Sileo on 9News: Aurora City Council Identity Theft
AURORA – Five of Aurora’s most powerful politicians found out how vulnerable they truly are. They’ve joined a long list of people who have fallen victim to identity theft.
The city councilors thought they were alone, until they heard from their colleagues at a council meeting.
“It was kind of a relief when I found it was a council thing and not me personally,” said Councilor Molly Markert.
Markert and four other councilors received bills for items they never even purchased, including electronic devices.
If there was ever an expert on identity theft, John Sileo would certainly be high on the list.
He’s written a few books on the issue and even does work for the Department of Defense and Homeland Security.
Sileo says the thief or thieves likely cracked the councilors’ codes by one of two ways.
“It’s either an inside job which is someone got paid to funnel information out, or, the second way is their systems were hacked in to, it’s also very common,” Sileo said.
Read the full Aurora City Council Identity Theft Story.
John Sileo is America’s leading keynote speaker on identity theft, social media privacy and trust building. His clients include the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, the FDIC, Pfizer and organizations of all sizes. Learn more at ThinkLikeASpy.com.
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