Seeker asks 'Why Isn’t U.S. Cybersecurity Infrastructure Good Enough?'

I took a comedic look at ransomware in John Oliver explains ransomware, so it's time for a more serious treatment of the subject. Watch as Seeker asks Why Isn’t U.S. Cybersecurity Infrastructure Good Enough?

Cyberattacks around the world, and especially in the U.S., have been on the rise. What can we do to combat it?
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Cyberattacks seem to be really having a moment. Take the US, for example: the FBI has reported 4,000 attacks a DAY since the COVID pandemic began, and there’s no sign of things slowing down. But how exactly did we get to this point, and how can cybersecurity help us get out of this mess?

The infrastructure that we use every single day, in our houses, in our cars, in our workplaces, and generally in the country as a whole, is full of computing systems. Anything that prevents us from getting things done, or in some way makes that computing infrastructure create a negative event, we could consider that to be a threat.

The need for protection against cyber attacks really came into focus with STUXNET, the world’s first digital weapon. In 2010, it was found targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, and in the process, proving that cyberattacks could have devastating consequences beyond the digital realm.

Computers today are more complex than ever, as are the types of threats they face. The more we ask our computers to do—open an email, visit a webpage, join a network—the more potential points of attack emerge.

While John Oliver, Trevor Noah, and the news outlets concentrated on the social and economic components of the issue, Seeker looks more at the technology and expands the focus from just ransomware to all kinds of cyberattacks, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, viruses, phishing, and general hacking to steal data and money. Still, the basic concepts and countermeasures are the same. One countermeasure Seeker mentions involves updating government hardware and software. That will cost money, but I think it will be worth it. Now to convince government and taxpayers it is, too.

That's it for the short posts I promised in 'The Crown' leads Gold Derby TV Awards with six wins. Stay tuned for the last Sunday entertainment feature of August.