Who knows how this international incident will play out, but we do know now that it can provide us some lessons that we can apply to protecting our business and network.
- Have a strong firewall to protect your network from the outside world.
- Had Crimea had a stronger border, like a firewall, outsiders would not have access to their territory.
- Use strong passwords and change them frequently.
- The Russian soldiers knew everything they needed to know about locations, size, and security of all the key military installations in Crimea. It was almost like the password to get to these key places was “1234.” Sadly, according to CBS News, the number one password in use in 2013 was “123456.”
- Have anti-virus software in place.
- The Russian army entered Crimea with all insignia and identification covered or deleted. They accessed Crimean territory appearing to be something they are not, just like some viruses enter a computer or network, masquerading as a nice link in an email or on a website. Anti-virus software protects you from such hidden invaders.
- Protect yourself from spyware and malware.
- Clearly, agents of the Russian army were present all over Crimean territory for months in advance of the recent incursion by the Russian Army. These agents are just like the spyware and malware that reside on your computer waiting to make their move when you enter personal information. Be sure you have anti-virus software and other protection in place to keep these secret agents where they belong – elsewhere.