Cyber Security

Cyber Security for Today’s World
By Chris Murphy, CISSP

You’re being watched–and they’re making money off of you! 

How would you feel if you found out that as you walked through the mall and visited the various stores, someone was following you without you knowing? After you leave each store, the marketing department asks your tail if they can have all the information that person knows about you, and they will pay for it!
Well, this is actually happening to you if you use a smartphone with AT&T or Verizon. They place a tracking identifier in your web surfing, so when you visit various web pages, the site owners can get your unique ID, then turn around and pay the cell phone providers for all the information they have on you.   While the carriers have buried in the bowels of their sites a method that you can “opt out” of some of this scenario, there is no way to turn off or remove that unique tracking ID from your activity. However, there are some very easy methods that can be employed to bypass this and surf anonymously while on your smartphone.
This and many other “tricks of the trade” in cyber security are explored in these two CFU classes: 
Maintaining Electronic Privacy in the Modern Age
Safe Computing in the Unsafe Age of Hackers & Data Breaches: Computer Security for the Home Use
Both are taught by computing and cyber security expert Chris Murphy. Enroll now and surf privately.

Privacy and Security: More about Cyber Security

Only when our privacy or security are threatened do we realize how important they are. While the news brings the point home with stories of cars being remotely crashed by hackers proving that it can be done, of millions of people whose identity is essentially up for grabs because of massive data breaches, it’s the less sensational stories of harm that occur every day that many of us don’t think about.  Even if it something as “benign” as your email or Facebook account being hacked, the damage that can come from that event can be catastrophic.
In terms of privacy, of course, the big news story is how the government encroaches on our civil liberties by monitoring all that we say and do.  However what about all the companies out there like Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and the like that are making money off of selling everything they know about you to anyone who wants it?  People’s privacy is all but gone when engaging in common Internet activities.  A quick Internet search can reveal so much about someone, and a more exhaustive search even more, and in the wrong hands can do so much harm.
Fortunately there are methods for conducting oneself on the Internet and still be able to mostly enjoy the benefits it has to offer.  You can reduce your chances of being harmed from a security point of view and protect your privacy. 
Maintaining Electronic Privacy in the Modern Age
Safe Computing in the Unsafe Age of Hackers & Data Breaches: Computer Security for the Home Use
Chris Murphy is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), working extensively in the information assurance industry for various corporate and private clients. While he can’t guarantee that something unfortunate could ever happen he will give you tactics for how to best minimize the exposure and mitigate the potential damage.  So consider investing a little time to protect two important precepts of our daily lives.  It could definitely prove to be worth it.
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Colorado Free University in Denver is an adult lifelong learning center, offering affordable quality classes since 1987.  CFU is located in Lowry, in east Denver.  We have a full Spanish Language program, Hands-on Computer Training, and a wide variety of skill-based and enrichment classes.