by Dave Moore, 08-09-2020
I recently had the opportunity to speak before a local civic group about Internet safety, training, precautions and all the usual things I’ve been writing about in this column for the past 15 years. It was an honor and privilege for me to be there.
Someone asked me, years ago, “Is it safe to be on the Internet?”
I had to think for a minute. I knew the answer, but pondered the best reply. “Great question,” I said. “Consider this: is it safe to drive down Interstate Highway 35?”
With this theme in mind, I developed what became my presentation before the civic group, comparing the risks found on the Internet to the risks of driving down Interstate 35. The professional term used in the cybersecurity industry in rating someone’s willingness to take risk is their “risk appetite.”
“What’s your risk appetite for driving down I-35?” I asked the group. There are many potential risks, and adding risk multiplies the opportunity for trouble.
First, I established a “baseline” for I-35 driving: good weather, good visibility, no congestion, sober drivers behaving themselves, which is about as good as it gets on I-35. Then, we discussed adding risks.
Driving during rush hour adds risk. Other increased-risk activities include driving when there is road construction, driving at night, driving when there is rain, flooding, snow, when there are beginning drivers (young drivers, those just getting started), and self-taught drivers.
Yes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 38% of drivers on the road today have had absolutely no real drivers training. They are self-taught. Everything they know about driving they either learned from friends, relatives, or what they’ve “learned” from the Internet, TV shows, and movies.
Other I-35 driving risks discussed were intoxicated drivers, and people who have been smoking weed, or doing other drugs. There are more risks we didn’t discuss, but what if multiple risks start happening at the same time? What if you’re driving down I-35 during rush hour, and it starts raining, then flooding, then snow and ice start to build up? What if there are also beginning drivers, self-taught drivers, as well as drunk and stoned drivers, all at the same time?
The Internet is much the same way. There are risks everywhere you turn. Unfortunately, many people’s response to all risks is the same: “Come on, we’ll be fine. It’s not that big of a deal. You’re making too much out of it. Risks are overrated. What are the odds? I’m free to do what I want. Quit bugging me, I’m trying to drive through this flood!”
Internet risks abound. What if you get a phone call or message on your screen saying the experts have detected terrible problems and you need to let them take care of things? What if, during peak rush hour times on the Internet when websites are slow to load, email lags behind and Netflix movies start buffering, you get impatient? The temptation would be to start considering bogus, virus-laden “speed up my stuff” programs and apps, when really, you should just take a chill-pill and wait it out.
What if an email offers you half-price prescriptions (rain), pop-ups promise you free, awesome games (flooding), your boss says he’s out of town and needs you need to click a link to pay a company bill (snow and ice), or Russian hotties on vacation in the U.S. want to flirt and maybe meet you later for “fun” (rain, flooding, snow, ice and drunken/stoned drivers, all at the same time)? Will you “Click to learn more?”
The conclusion at the end of our study was, no, it is not safe to drive down I-35. It is not “safe” to be on the Internet, yet we do both things all the time. As long as we consider the assorted risks involved, and take measures to mitigate those risks, we are usually OK. That implies an emphasis on the words “mitigate” and “usually,” because, as we all know, stuff happens.
After our examination of the risks involved in driving down I-35, as well as the Information Superhighway, I looked out over the crowd. This was no fly-weight group; it included some of our community’s most prominent leaders. I had planned my two questions ahead of time, as I thought I probably knew the answers, but even so, I hesitated to ask. I didn’t want to embarrass anyone, but then, my brain took over and said, “Ask the questions, already!”
“Who here has had any sort of formal Internet safety training?” Two people raised their hands.
“How many of you do online banking?” Everyone raised their hand.
Clearly, dear readers, we have mountains of work ahead of us.
Dave Moore has been fixing computers in Oklahoma since 1984. Founder of the non-profit Internet Safety Group Ltd., he also teaches Internet safety community training workshops. He can be reached at 405-919-9901 or www.internetsafetygroup.com