About seven years ago, Clark University's technology lab was hacked. Now, students in the university's new cybersecurity degree program are learning how to defend against similar attacks here.
According to Statista's Market Insights, cyberattacks have become so common that people are becoming immune to them, even though cyberattacks are predicted to cost $9.22 trillion this year. It has become a feeling. Businesses now view responding to cyberattacks as a normal operating cost.
“It has become…a commercial criminal enterprise,” said Dwight Hughes, director of Clark University's cybersecurity program.
Rebound Orthopedics and Neurosurgery is the latest local company to fall prey to a cyber attack, while Clark County Government and Burgerville have also been attacked in recent years. And these are just the attacks that have become public knowledge.
Washington state law requires organizations that own or license personal information to notify Washington state residents within 45 days of an attack that compromises insecure personal information. . However, organizations that experience attacks that do not involve consumer information are not required to notify anyone. Healthcare companies are subject to certain federal laws that require them to notify patients of breaches involving their protected health information.
Eric Landon, director of operations and technology at Riverview Bank in Vancouver, said businesses are being affected beyond the initial attack.
“It's a reputational effect that all of a sudden you're on the evening news and newspapers,” Landon said.
A hit to a company's reputation can impact sales or deplete its existing customer base.
Additionally, there are associated costs, such as identifying issues, fixing them, notifying customers, and determining how to improve cybersecurity going forward.
“All of this costs a lot of money,” Landon said.
The Clark University attackers ultimately did not obtain student information because they did not have any student information when they hacked the technology lab.
“But the hackers didn't know that when they got in there,” Hughes said.
counter threats
The booming cybercrime industry has increased the demand for cybersecurity professionals among businesses. The state Employment Security Department predicts an annual growth rate of 5.3% for this sector. Clark University developed a cybersecurity bachelor's degree program to train talent locally.
Clark University Cybersecurity Principal Lecturer Mohammed “Giga” Alkiq said the program helps students learn from real-world scenarios.
The program was launched in 2020 with a small number of students. She is one of nearly 100 students training to become professionals who will work to protect businesses from malware, phishing, ransomware, and other cybercrimes that threaten businesses and their data, and is nearly full. is. The program is expected to expand to 150 students in the fall.
Landon said businesses should implement strong security and do everything they can to avoid being targeted. He said one option is to store more data offline.
“At some level, a breach is going to occur, and you need to be prepared to effectively recover from it without destroying your company,” Landon said.
Businesses strive to protect their data, but when data is breached, they often pay a ransom to get the lost data back. The ransom may be covered by insurance. However, consumer information is still routinely compromised.
Tips to prevent cyber attacks
Cyber attacks are occurring frequently these days. But Wendy Smith, chief risk officer at Columbia Credit Union, said consumers can take steps to protect themselves. Her advice:
- Never click on links in texts or emails to “verify” your account or confirm transactions.
- Please do not include personal information in your surveys.
- Never share your username, password, or one-time passcode with anyone.
- Please use unique passwords for all your accounts.
- If you believe a hacker has accessed personal information such as your social security number, credit card number, or bank account information, visit identitytheft.gov to report it and get a recovery plan.
Iva Lodi, chief program officer at the National Center for Victims of Crime, said the impact of cyber-attacks on victims is sometimes overlooked.
“The information that is stolen is often private,” Roddy said. “Financial fraud has far-reaching emotional consequences that many people are unaware of.”
Victims may deal with anger, sadness, loss, embarrassment, fear, or simply frustration.
Roddy said stolen information is also often distributed. Identity theft may ensue.
“It affects their ability to be whole,” she said.
Employees of compromised companies may also deal with their own concerns about opening email attachments or clicking on links.
“They… don't want to think they're the ones who caused the big problem,” Roddy said.
Rapid increase in AI-driven cybercrime
Experts predict that rapid advances in artificial intelligence will further facilitate cybercrime, making cybersecurity programs like Clark's even more important to combat evolving threats.
Mr. Clark's students are not memorizing facts, but rather learning how to apply and synthesize knowledge, Mr. Hughes said.
“They have to be lifelong learners,” Hughes said, pointing to the rapid advancements in technology.
Hackers are always looking for weaknesses in new technologies.
“It's always changing,” Alkik said. “It's only a matter of time.”
