As we await President Obama's first State of the Union address of his second term, we have had several unnerving calls to action, one of which is the recent public acknowledgement that The Wall street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post believe they have been victims of hacking by Chinese agents.  This may not have the immediacy of a nuclear attack or the emotional impact of the Newtown slaying of school children, but it does impact the state of the U.S. economy.  Cyber attacks reflect the intentional undermining of the commercial competitiveness of the victims.

The news media have anticipated that the President is going to issue an executive order addressing the issue of cybersecurity.

This is pretty heady stuff, but what can we mere mortals do?  The answer is plenty!  And it is all about common sense.  Yes, there is a technical component.  But the vast majority of what can be done is in the hands of people, for instance:

  1. Be vigilant.  If you do not know the sender of an electronic message, do not open it.  If the message is from someone you know, but is unexpected or is on a foreign topic, confirm it is from that person before opening it.
  2. Be consistent.  If you are inconsistent in employing proper safeguards – e.g., if you have the the best internal security systems, but send sensitive information out in the open – you run the risk of becoming the next victim.
  3. Be particular.  Not everything needs to be available on the Internet or available to a network connected to the Internet.  If it is highly sensitive, think about storing it offline and communicating it through non-electronic means or through secure communication channels.
  4. Plan.  Know what you are going to do if the unforeseen happens.  How are you going to contain the harm?  How are you going to make sure it does not happen again.
  5. Develop a culture of security.  Seeking only convenience can often be the enemy of security.  Make security a habit personally and institutionally.

Now let's hear what President Obama has to say.

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