The potential threat of an interconnected world
Article published in Longmeadow Neighbors
(May 2022)
EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR
NATE MUNIC
The Friendly I.T. Guy
Residential and Business Tech
413 200 8114
nate@thefriendlyitguy.com
thefriendlyitguy.com
The year is 2010. It’s spring. Apple just announced a brand new product that claims to revolutionize the way people interact with each other, do work, and entertain themselves among many other things. They had been consistently putting out new connected devices, first with iPods, then with iPhones, all designed to make our lives easier, at a time when life was getting increasingly more complicated. The iPad filled a gap between phones and computers. We began to see the value of versatile technology, filling in parts of our life for the sake of efficiency or convenience. But, in 2010, many people were still watching rented movies on DVD, folks still had their VHS players hooked up to their TVs, and the world was very different compared to what it is today. We have seen a lightspeed of technological advancement since then, full of interconnected devices. More than just our information devices, today even our appliances have internet-based features. Everything from lights, to our refrigerators are connected to our networks. All this advancement in the course of only 10 short years.
This fast paced adoption of technology has taken the world by storm, but sadly, not everyone is able to adapt so quickly. Even if someone owns one of these devices, rather than being the cool, trendy, life-improving technology that they are marketed as, they are often a source of frustration, and far far worse, security vulnerabilities.
While many made haste to start incorporating a smartphone, a Tablet, or a Smart Home device into their lives, many have failed to take into account the rapidly growing dangers, risks, and threats lurking in cyberspace. And with more people using smart devices than ever before, we are entering into a golden age for hackers, thieves, and scammers who aim to take advantage of unsuspecting victims.
In the past few years, major breaches have included Marriott, Experian, Equifax, Solar Winds, Twitter, Microsoft, Twitch, CNA Insurance and so many more. Now, consider how difficult it’s to successfully breach companies with massive IT infrastructure, world class cyber security, and teams of IT professionals to help. It’s exponentially easier to breach a personal device, account, or network and steal sensitive information or cheat you out of your hard earned money.
Not only is it easier, it is equally as valuable. Now, you may think that’s impossible, how could you, a normal consumer, have data that is equal in value to a major company? The answer is that ALL data is valuable, even information that you think is irrelevant. To a hacker, they see endless opportunities to steal and sell your data, or worse, impersonate you for even bigger gains.
The Federal Trade Commission released data showing that they received 2.8 Million fraud reports in 2021, with losses of $5.8 Billion, over 70% higher than just the year before. The most commonly reported scam was Imposter Scams ($2.3 Billion lost, up from $1.2 Billion in 2020), followed by online shopping fraud ($392 Million lost, up from $246 Million in 2020). Besides these, there are romance scams, ransomware, cryptocurrency scams, NFT theft, social media scams and hacks, among others.
Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to be knowledgeable about how to stay safe online, how to spot a scam, how to identify phishing links and emails, as well as what to do if you suspect your account has been compromised. If you or a loved one do not have these needed skills, it’s important to learn them! The Friendly I.T. Guy offers everything you need to stay safe, including one-on-one education, virus and ransomware removal, security consulting, device protection software, backup solutions, and more.
Don’t be part of the 2022 Statistics for Fraud and Breach victims. Protect yourselves, and your devices, and know that you have The Friendly I.T. Guy to help keep you safe.
More contributions from Nate Munic
