Last time I talked about how common everyday items can totally screw up your IT security.  Today I’m going to expand this thought to include your health and welfare, government, and infrastructure.

I think that most of us can agree that cutting down on the amount of paper we use is a good thing, right?  Save the environment and all that.  So, what’s the alternative then?  Going electronic.  While this sounds like a great idea – it's easier to access records, share records/files, saving the rainforest, and having all your documents in one place (hopefully), there are downsides to it.  Without proper security protocols in place, your personal information could be stolen and used for a number for reasons – blackmail, fraud, theft, or for some kid fooling around in his basement trying out new hacking techniques, for fun.  What does this mean for us as a society?  It means we need to be aware, and to make those that hold these records for us accountable for their safety.

Let’s talk medical records for a minute.  While many people wouldn’t necessarily give them a second thought (who wants pictures of my colon??), a lot of valuable information is contained in them.  Your full name, address, phone number, date of birth, next of kin, and health card number.  With just those things, you can lose your identity, have your records used to blackmail you, or worse yet, be deleted.  Do you know how hard it is to get a new doctor or a referral without those records?  Something to think about.

Moving on to government.  Where to start here??  Many of us get money from them at some point in our lives, whether it’s a welfare cheque, disability, a tax refund, or (sadly) an audit.  And what about documents like a new driver's license, health card, or passport?   The amount of information available to steal in any of these transactions is phenomenal.  What do they do to protect us?  Remember when Equifax got hacked?  It can and does happen.   

Finally, infrastructure.  Ever think about what runs the traffic lights, street lights, electronic signs, the electricity to your home?  Computers.  What would happen if someone went in and turned everything off?  Just killed it all.  What would happen then?  Probably mass chaos.

So, what can we do?  First of all, keep any paper documents you receive from the government, as well as any emails (same goes for medical things).  Taking some responsibility for your own safety goes a long way.  But we also need to hold those that hold our information for us accountable for its safety as well.  How to do that?  I don’t have that answer.  Keep abreast of any hacks that happen in our government or healthcare and make sure you weren’t affected.  And if you were, take steps to secure your information.  As to infrastructure, there’s not a lot that we as citizens can do if someone decides to shut down our city.  Keep supplies in just in case there’s a blackout.  Have a generator if you have things that can’t be off for a long period of time.  It’s hard to predict these things, but a little preparedness is a good thing.  With the advent of Covid, we should be getting good at this preparedness thing anyway.

Any thoughts, debate, conversation, is welcome!  These are just my thoughts, and I’m open to others thoughts on these matters.

Till next time, stay safe!

Cindy