Tag: information

In the physical, information is all around us, but is not all in the same place. Speed signs are set out over certain distances, news broadcast on one radio channel might be broadcast later, on another channel. Some news might not be covered on every radio station. You get the picture.

As we move more and more into a digital first world, information is more highly sought after and people will go to extreme lengths to get information. You’re used to seeing that companies will sell your information and some web pages have a “don’t sell my information” button. You’re probably also used to seeing that XYZ company got attacked with ransomware and their information is all encrypted. Whatever. It’s all the same shit in the end. You have information, someone will do something to get that information. This is not just in the digital form. You’ll see it where you might be referred by a real estate agent to a mortgage broker and this passing of information from the real estate agent is rewarded by a referral fee from the mortgage broker. Just because it is called a “referral fee” and you consent to it upfront, it does not mean that your information wasn’t sold.

Your information is like your valuables in your house. The walls of your house can be considered firewalls, with locks on the doors being encryption, and an alarm being your defence mechanisms. This is all in place to keep people on the outside from coming inside.

Take it one step further and add a neighbourhood watch which serves as security protocols and access controls that are closely watching to see who enters and leaves.

Penetration testers, as the name suggest, test the defences and try to find weak points by simulating attacks against your house.

As you store more valuables in your house, you need to expand the size of the house to accommodate for all these extra valuables. The larger the house, the more eyes can see it, thus attracting more thieves. This is digital transformation

Thieves that are always looking for ways to break into your house and past your defences are seen cyber criminals or cyber threats.

The more digital your business becomes, the stronger your defences need to be. Information stored physically, or digitally, is still sensitive and must be protected. Any breaches to information you store could lead to severe consequences.