The Business Review November 2021

" Cyber criminals go after the person, because humans are the biggest data security risk. If hacking groups can impersonate you, it ' s hard for security professionals to detect that. " - Clay Storey, Director of Security, Avista Corp.

“This is when you visit a website and it puts up a message like your computer has a virus, or you must restart your computer,” said Storey. This technique tries to create a sense of urgency to get someone to perform a specific action. With a variety of cyber threats out there, Storey said it is important for people and businesses to know how to mitigate risk. “If it’s a phishing email, ask yourself if you know the sender or were expecting that message,” he said. “Is someone trying to get you to act with urgency?” Additionally, he reiterated the importance of a strong password and using two-factor authentication if it is available. The latter is one of the best ways to stop someone from getting into your account. Storey also recommended getting malware protection and

Clay Storey, Director of Security, Avista Corp

backing up your data regularly, off site if possible. During the question and answer portion of the Forum, Storey covered how cyber criminals could gather information about you or your company from your social media profiles. “Those platforms are one way an adversary might gather intelligence. A criminal could research the company and learn which person has access to important information,” he explained. With cyber attacks continuing to target businesses and individuals, Storey emphasized the importance of staying vigilant when encountering potential scams or attacks. “Think through what you’re seeing before clicking a link or downloading something.” n

“Cyber criminals go after the person, because humans are the biggest data security risk. If hacking groups can impersonate you, it’s hard for security professionals to detect that.” Storey then described the most common types of cyber attacks, with phishing emails being at the top of the list. This was followed by an attack called the “watering hole.” According to Storey, this is when hackers target a website that is used by many people. Once the website is compromised, anyone who visits it, also becomes infected. Another common cyber attack is PC alerts.

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November 2021 | The Business Review

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