CYBER SECURITY
good options. Personally, I use 1Password, and it allows me to have extremely complicated passwords for every website or application that I use. If you take just a few minutes learning these concepts and act on Step 3, you will reduce your potential exposure by over 90% and prevent many future headaches or identity theft. There is an excellent side benefit to you taking control of your personal digital security. Nearly all company breaches, especially in small to medium- sized organizations, are caused by the mistakes of employees and not some shady character in a dark room somewhere. If you are securing your own digital life, you will become an employee who by default makes their company network safer because you are practicing digital safety. This is a skill I believe will be a very desirable asset on future resumes.
passphrase in this example will take hacking software more than 100 years to break, as opposed to a few hours to crack your password. You should also turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA), which adds another layer of security to your logins. MFA requires users to provide two or more verification factors to access an account. MFA makes it significantly harder for unauthorized users to access your accounts, even if they have your password. At this point, you might be thinking: "How the heck do I remember or create a unique password for every website?" Step 3 seems very daunting. The best way is to take 20 minutes out of your life and YouTube a few things. YouTube “passphrase vs password” and “multi- factor authentication.” In 10 minutes, you will have a good idea of these concepts and be armed with more info than most of the general public.
— Devin Day, Director of IT HAVE I EVER BEEN PWNED?
I bet you never asked yourself this question. What does it even mean? Well, “pwned” is a term that originated in the gaming community when you got "owned" or "bested" by another player. Today, it's a term in the cyber community for folks who have their usernames, passwords, or any other data compromised or exposed in cyber hacks or breaches. Cyber breaches are all too common. Names like Adobe, Yahoo, Equifax, Facebook, eBay, LinkedIn, Sony PlayStation, and Target come to mind. In 2018, hackers exposed 56 million Home Depot users' card numbers and e-mail addresses. You may remember getting a notice from your bank to change your debit or credit card after the Home Depot hack. (I was one of those users who had to get a new debit card). If your information is online, it's only a matter of time before your information is compromised. Take these steps to "harden" your own personal digital life and secure your online data. STEP 1: Check your email: Go to haveibeenpwned.com and enter all of your email addresses to find out if your information was leaked in any of the big data breaches. This website tracks all the major data leaks and is a great resource to see if you have been compromised. NOTE: This story includes a graphic showing where to type your e-mail address at this website. STEP 2: Don't panic...yet: Understand that being exposed in a data breach is beyond your control but knowing you will be exposed at some point and how you prepare and respond to being compromised is within your control. STEP 3: Protect yourself: The first thing to do after checking if your data has been leaked is to take action and protect yourself. Change all your passwords and use a different password for every site. You should also use a passphrase, not a password. (A good example of a passphrase is "I love apples on a rainy afternoon" versus a password like "f4rmerjohn82".) The
Next, get and use a password manager. 1Password 1password.com or Dashlane dashlane.com are two
Congratulations to our CEO Tom Boland on being honored by the Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland (SPF). SPF presented Tom with their 2024 Innovation in Agriculture Award on June 12, 2024, at the organization’s “Our Valley Our Future” breakfast in Mt. Vernon. During the award presentation, it was noted that Skagit Farmers Supply (SFS) has invested in technology and eliminated or improved processes to be able to deliver more with less. Oftentimes, that means less time, less people and less cost. At SFS, our mission is to support the economic viability of agriculture, and we use the cooperative business model to do that. Your cooperative has long been a supporter of SPF and their mission to keep farmland in the hands of farmers as well as advocating on behalf of farmers. 2024 INNOVATION AWARD
1Password app on the author’s cell phone.
Enter your e-mail addresses at haveibeenpwned.com to see if your usernames have been compromised.
SPF Board Member Darrin Morrison presents Tom the 2024 Innovation in Agriculture Award.
14 | SUMMER 2024
CO-OP CONNECTION | 15
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