Encryption to Cyber Bullying

• By Ralph C. Jensen
• Aug 01, 2017

The most pervasive cyber threat in the past 11 years has been ransomware infections. Who would have even known about something like this 30 years ago, but here we are trying with all diligence to protect folders and files, or even worse, the entire hard drive.

While ransomware is not new, the idea of holding someone’s computer hostage, or for ransom, is, I believe, akin to corporate terrorism. Even today it boggles the mind that people can get away with this kind of behavior, forcing a victim to pay ransom to unlock their computer.

The networked world is a complex domain. Nothing more than what social media plays in the lives of young people. The downside is cyberbullying.

Millennials and Gen Z are most generally the intended targets; 71 percent of this generation is concerned about cyberbullying. Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular sites for young people, and the platforms where cyberbullying occur more often than not are texting, 24 percent on Facebook, 23 percent on Instagram and 21 percent on Twitter.

While we typically think about network security in terms of security cameras, for instance, cyberbullying is an extremely serious problem. Young people are keenly aware of the threats and have started to post less and less information. Sorry to say, statistics reveal that as many as 38 percent of people have been victims of cyberbullying, and young women are likely to be targeted, with embarrassing and unwanted contact.

Young people should feel comfortable asking for help, and survey results indicate that only 15 percent of young people would keep cyberbullying a secret. Family and friends should be secure and trustworthy confidants. Network security, I would hope, would be able to discern who the violators are, and cut them off.

This article originally appeared in the August 2017 issue of Security Today.