Problems of Tech: Online Security

Remember that time you had to get a new debit card? It was because Target had a data breach. Or maybe it was Wal-Mart... or Chase... Or hey, how about when we all had to change our passwords because of Heartbleed... I think you can see where I'm going with this. Being secure on the internet is a major issue, and it's not going away any time soon.

It seems all too often we wake up to a new issue, putting our sensitive data at risk. Our behavior is unlikely to change any time soon; putting our personal information online has become part of our daily life, and the convience factor far too often outweighs the risks? So what are we to do, other than maybe take out some cash before we go to Target? Information is Beautiful has a great breakdown of data breaches throughtout the years. As we cycle through the data, we can see that most of the biggest attacks have been caused by hackers deliberately targeting companies in the financial & healthcare industries, or big box retailers with lots of credit card info on file. Far greater minds than mine could probably say what needs to be done on the tech end; but what I can say needs to change is attitude. The assumption should not be that you're invulnerable, either as a consumer or as a business. Security should be tested early & often, and not left as a sidethought for the "nerds." How many of these CEOs do you think thought about their cybersecurity before the breaches? And how many of them do you suppose think about it now? (My hope would be all, but let's not press our luck.)