GATEKEEPER BLOG

Foreign hackers.

Foreign Hackers from the East

From the US presidential election to Kaspersky, there is nary a day that goes by that doesn’t contain at least one reference to nefarious cybersecurity acts sponsored by Russia and Russian-aligned entities. The Baltic NATO members have felt that threat and in even in nations like the Ukraine, competing factions vie for influence with the government in Kiev and the Russian sponsors of their eastern breakaway regions. Foreign hackers are becoming a very troubling aspect of cyberseurity.

Now sitting in your Starbucks, this may seem like a faraway issue. But the implications can get very personal very quickly. When Eastern hackers, possibly working with state security services, seek to undermine American and European power, they strike at soft targets because, well, it’s easier and obvious. As the veteran bank robber Willie Sutton answered when asked why he robbed banks, “That’s where the money is.” The threats are not just limited to one region. Check out some of the hacking methods from Rio.

Public confidence in infrastructure, to include cybersecurity, is at the basis of national perception in the 21stcentury. A nation that can’t protect and defend the data and personal details of its citizens from a foreign source risks not only damage at the polls but compromise of such a nature that the consequences can be catastrophic to prestige and power.

However, the threat is not limited to abroad. Personnel with axes to grind or agendas to pursue can wreak havoc within their own office, from the desk next to you. Think not? Ask Chelsea Manning. As a former member of the intelligence community myself, in the prehistoric days of paper files, compromise could have been easy if you had a plan.

But that involved numerous passing over to case officers of tons of paper or at least film. These days, many times that amount can be downloaded in a thrice and on the way to bad players before anybody knows it is gone. Prevention of foreign hackers is crucial to a strong cybersecurity foundation.

2FA to prevent foreign hackers and other cyber security threats.

And it can happen from the chair right next door to yours. That’s where GateKeeper 2FA comes in. The solution can stop the threat where it could begin. It can make sure the most basic danger to data security is strangled in its evil cradle before it can grow up and cost you money, time, effort and, most vitally, credibility.

But look around you right now. Yeah now, where you’re sitting if you’re in a public space. See that guy on your right? Probably a nice normal guy, huh? Has no designs on your data for any reason, right? Are we sure?

And that woman at the counter. When you get up from your seat for any reason she’ll be back at her seat. Your back will be to her. No problem, right? Are you sure? And if you’re not 100% ask yourself why. It’s likely because you’re an intelligent person and you read the news and thus are aware of how many bad guys want your data to enrich themselves and fill your life with hassles or worse.

One solution can change that. Remember our pal Willie Sutton? Think he would have gone to the hard to rob banks or the easier heists? Same mentality with the people who want your data. They want it easy. They’re not going to draw attention to themselves by trying to access a computer that guards against it. They’re lazy that way. Read more about data breaches and what they’re really about. The U.S. government even has a reward system for information on malicious foreign hackers. Defend yourself against foreign hackers and cybercriminal gangs.

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