Report Urges Cyber-security Education

Cyber defense isn’t just up to governments and corporations, say the authors of a new report on security. They urge a nationwide campaign educating ordinary Americans on how they can help prevent threats to our vulnerable computer networks.

NetworkWorld reports on a paper written by researchers at the University of Cincinnati called “The Cybersecurity Triad: Government, Private Sector Partners and the Engaged Cybersecurity Citizen.” It was published in the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.


The authors call for educational programs akin to the “duck and cover” exercises during the 1950s for schoolchildren, who were taught to hide under their desks in the event of a nuclear attack.

“The general population must be engaged as active security providers, not simply beneficiaries of security policy, because their practices often create the threats to which government responds,” say Richard Harknett and James Stever of the school's political science department.

The essential problem, they write, is that anyone can use the Internet without knowing the basic safeguards of PC security. They cite a coordinated attack that overwhelmed sites of the U.S. and South Korean government last July, in which individual computers were taken over by botnets.

“Most users remain unaware that not only is their computer data vulnerable, but that their insecure access to cyberspace can be exploited by others turning them into unwitting agents of coordinated cyber threats,” the report says. "Cybersecurity must become a national civic responsibility.”


A first step, the report warns, is to take seemingly minor threats more seriously. “For example, hacking by teenage pranksters is treated as a nuisance, not as breaking and entering or as a serious security threat with appropriate punishment.” We agree that cybersecurity should be a matter of collective effort.

What steps can you take toward safer computing? You can start by keeping your anti-virus software current. Be wary of downloading files to your computer, especially from unknown sources. Never give out online passwords or banking information. If you’re using public Wi-Fi, avoid typing passwords or banking information that could be exploited by hackers.

Education is the front line of consumer defense against cyber-fraud, so it’s good to stay abreast of latest threats and vulnerabilities. Check out organizations like the National Cybersecurity Alliance for additional tips and awareness.