Gary Davis, the chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee, is giving an opening keynote at NAB Show New York Wednesday morning. Davis tells Cynopsis why cybercriminals are targeting media companies – and what our readers can do to protect themselves.
Cynopsis: Why are cybercriminals targeting media companies?
Gary Davis: Because they represent a lucrative target. Cybercriminals know that for the most part, the value of a media company lies in the media they create – especially original content that, if released, could cause substantial damage to the media company.
Cynopsis: What damage have they done?
Davis: Most of the damage has been the release of proprietary, original content and customer data. The media company’s brand reputation is certainly impacted as well.
Cynopsis: What’s the latest phishing trick?
Davis: The latest phishing technique that people should be aware of is “whale phishing” where the cybercriminals use big data and machine learning to conduct very targeted, socially engineered attacks against company executives and other high-profile people.
Cynopsis: What are three things Cynopsis readers should do to protect themselves from cybercriminals?
Davis: Stay informed. The most important thing Cynopsis readers can do is to stay informed of what’s going on in the cybersecurity space and take action when prompted. For example, just this week we saw a major vulnerability, referred to as KRACK, in the Wi-Fi WPA2 encryption protocol announced basically making any data that flows over the protocol vulnerable to attack. With this vulnerability now well known, people should take steps including using a personal VPN to help protect their information.
Monitor bank accounts. In the chance that a cybercriminal is able to access an online accounts, they could potentially have gotten access to consumer’s financial info stored on the site. It’s important to scan bank accounts for any abnormal activity, that way it can be flagged to the bank and credit cards can be cancelled if needed.
Keep software up to date. Some online attacks target outdated software that isn’t patched with the latest security fixes. This is why it’s imperative to keep all software, including mobile apps, updated. This way, attackers have a harder time taking advantage of known vulnerabilities.
The Cynsiders column is a platform for industry leaders to reach out to colleagues, followers, and the public at large. In their own words and in targeted Q&As, columnists address breaking news, issues of the day, and the larger changes going on in the ever-evolving world of television, video and digital. Cynsiders columns live on Cynopsis’ main page and are promoted across all daily newsletters. We welcome readers’ comments, queries, and column ideas at Lynn@Cynopsis.com.
