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It is really hard to even imagine our online account getting hacked by someone and blackmailing to expose or sell our valuable information. In the age of information and automation, data is valuable. Whether it’s personal data, social media account or information about customers in a bank.
What is Cyber Security Threat?
A cybersecurity/IT security threat is the threat of theft or damage to the computer systems, hardware, software and networks. As the world is connected more than ever before, it is possible to interfere, disrupt and steal data from any source from anywhere around the globe.
The one who hacks into your account may use the information for their benefits, sell it or blackmail you for money. Your social media account, bank account, company website and anything that holds valuable information can be a target of online theft.
Famous Incidents of Cyber Security Breach
The latest incident of cybersecurity breach happened in January when Twitter accounts of big names in the US were hacked. The accounts of popular personalities like Joe Biden, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Kanye West were hack and a similar message was posted on everyone’s page. The message was to send bitcoin to an account and the person will send back double your money.
It became one of the most brazen online attacks in history.
The biggest information leak was exposed by Edward Snowden exposed the National Security Agency of the USA for tapping the data from Google’s data centres. He exposed the NSA for conducting global surveillance.
Not just the USA, China and Russia have been known for conducting hacking of government websites and other official data centres with or without the help of their government.
Personal Data Theft
If you want to know how valuable is ones personal data, take a look at the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal which impacted the US election of 2017.
The firm Cambridge Analytica is accused of assisting the campaign of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz in the 2017 election with the data of over 87 million people via Facebook’s third-party app called ‘This Is Your Digital Life’’. The App asked many question and opinions of people who used it by breaching Facebook’s terms of services. Facebook was criticized for the same and Cambridge-Analytica is closed since 2018.
This incident led people to realise how important is their personal data which they give away to third-party apps without any thoughts.
What does the Future Hold for Us?
Experts have said that modern warfare is not going to be fought with bombs and missiles but with bio-weapons and cyberwarfare. The Christian Science Monitor has published an article called “The new cyber arms race”, which explains how the future will see cyberspace becoming the place for warfare.
Cyberterrorism has become a looming threat that will disrupt the cyberspace in future. Cyber-attacks have already happened in many parts of the world and are expected at any time and anywhere.
The next war will be fought with a click of a mouse from across the world which unleashes an attack on industries like, utility, transportation, communication and energy using weaponized computers. Even the weaponized computers are also capable of disabling the military networks controlling the troops, jets and other military technologies.
The future is always filled with threats and chaos, it’s us who needs to be ready and face all kinds of risks and dangers.
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