A Near Miss
What would you do for a second chance? It is easy to tell everyone that you’ve lived life with no regrets, or ‘ragrets’ in some cases but is it really true? Most of us have something or other that we would go back and change and that is not a bad thing. We live and learn by mistakes but what a lot of people on this planet do not realize is that we’ve already been given a second chance; at life.
On March 23rd, 1989 we all experienced a cosmic event that we did not even know was happening! It was not until nine days later, that experts discovered an asteroid (4581 Asclepius) came with 500,000 miles of Earth’s surface. Now observed as ‘Near Miss Day‘ we can take this time to reflect on the fact that no matter how safe we are nothing, even our planet, is invulnerable.
That's a big barbeque!
A few geophysicists believe the impact that Asclepius would have on the earth is comparative to that of a 600 megaton atomic bomb. Needless to say, life on Earth would have been altered to a near unlivable state. Thankfully, this event brought a lot of awareness to the monitoring and tracking of celestial objects hurtling in our direction. We now have many advance systems in place to make sure we are prepared or even prevent apocalyptic events in the future. In fact, we are currently keeping an eye on an asteroid that will near earth at about 1.1 million miles in 2051. That’s a great head start!
We have made great strides in moving towards a better understanding of our place in the universe and as you can imagine, this is heavily due to innovation in technology. Nevertheless, with innovation always comes those who will use innovation to affect the world around them negatively.
It's great to get connected...
By now, all of us are aware of the turmoil and tragedy currently happening in the Ukraine. Citizens are experiencing the physical effects of war but unfortunately, wars are able to happen on multiple fronts, even the internet.
Shortly after the beginning of the invasion by Russian forces, internet access was cut off to the country of Ukraine by Russia. With communication being so vital to the military, government, and citizens of the Ukraine, it was vital to get them up and running as soon as possible.
In response, SpaceX sent thousands of Starlink satellite internet kits to the Ukraine. Each kit contains a lifeline of an antenna, a mounting tripod, and a Wi-Fi router to access Starlink’s satellites. This provided a much needed bolster to the communication situation and quite possibly saved lives.
Out in full force.
Due to a history of using cyberattacks in the past, Mandiant warns businesses via VDNET that ‘Russian cyber aggression could lead to attacks that spread far beyond Ukraine’. Yes, that means even your SMB (small or medium business) is at risk. However, if you have a ‘robust security strategy’ in place there’s no need to panic.
A robust security strategy can mean different things for different industries. One thing we can and will recommend for all environments is the adopting of Multifactor Authentication (MFA). Systems that use additional data beyond username and password combinations have a significantly less risk of being hacked or taken advantage of by cybercriminal groups.
MFA uses a multi-pronged approach to security. On top of an average login combination, the user is required to provide an additional one-time password or form of verification. Additional forms of verification include items like security badges, key cards, or even biometric detection like retinal scans.
By using MFA, even if a cybercriminal does gain access to your username and password, it will keep them from accessing additional user information and company data. This way, the security issue can be addressed before interruptions or loss of revenue happens.
Is my security 'robust' enough?
We get it, managing your cybersecurity can be a headache. Especially when you have a business to run. Despite this fact, there is an easier way to go about your cybersecurity – reach out to Vodigy.
At Vodigy, we take cybersecurity very seriously. Let our knowledgeable experts help guide your cybersecurity practices to ‘Fort Knox’ level protection.
Reach out today, we’d love to hear from you.
