Complacency

We've all experienced adolescence. For some, it may have been relatively recent, while for others, teenage years are a distant memory. Some of us are parents or guardians of teenagers, keeping the experience fresh in our minds, albeit from a different perspective.

Teenagers typically go through a phase of questioning and challenging everything. As the teen years fade into the rear-view mirror of time, we become satisfied with everything around us; we become complacent.

In today's electronically connected world, our digital lives are integral to our existence. Our digital footprint encompasses both government-operated and commercial systems. Without the digital tokens that represent us, we cannot access or consume countless services critical to our daily lives.

The proliferation of our digital presence across computer systems has given rise to a criminal industry that trades in information stolen from systems or the hijack of the same. This lucrative form of crime can be perpetrated remotely, requires relatively little skill thanks to off-the-shelf hacking and ransomware solutions, and offers substantial financial rewards. In certain countries, stolen data is used to impersonate victims to apply for, or access goods and services from both private and public sectors.

Victims of fraud have suffered severe consequences, including:

• Destroyed credit scores
• Involvement in criminal investigations due to their digital identity being used for illegal activities
• Financial losses from carefully planned criminal acts based on stolen personal data
• Extortion attempts to regain access to hijacked data or personal information

These examples represent only a fraction of the potential risks.

If you've never been impacted by such criminal events, you might not fully appreciate the life altering consequences. The "it will never happen to me" mindset could be misguiding you.

Organizations that provide regular awareness training and educational events help their staff remain vigilant. The YouTube video shared below illustrates why you should never connect unknown devices to your USB ports. While it may cause some concern, it serves as an important reminder of the risks we face.

In conclusion, when it comes to security, we must maintain a questioning attitude similar to that of teenagers, never becoming complacent in our digital practices.

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