November 18, 2020
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0David Geer’s Interview: Cybersecurity Now and In The Future
The hottest section of our blog — the interview, back on the case. Today we’ve prepared an interview with one of the most famous experts in the field of cybersecurity — David Geer.
We talked to him about his vision for cybersecurity, possible ways to ensure it, and the future of a secure internet. More about our guest, you can find reading his Twitter.
Our previous big Dr. Hack’s Interview has already been published. You can read it and get some advice on the protection of your security and privacy on the internet.
1. Good afternoon! Our team has been following your project for a long time. Your project was created to explain Internet users such a complex but interesting topic as cybersecurity. Tell us, please, how you came up with the idea of creating this project?
I first focused my career on technology, most frequently technologies related to computing, then I increasingly narrowed my focus to cybersecurity. It’s still relatively infant with infinite growth potential. It also pits good against evil, which makes it more interesting. I found I could cover this ground effectively and have fun doing it.
2. Probably, you’ve encountered some difficulties when developing and launching your cybersecurity project. Also, you may still have difficulty with some security topics. Have you ever overcome such situations and how did you find a way out of them?
There isn’t always only one right answer, so you can have differing expert opinions that are only right or wrong based on their context. In some cases, the evidence isn’t all in yet. There are other reasons why you can’t always draw a single, clear conclusion in a story about cybersecurity.
3. You have divided the topic of your blog into three categories: cybersecurity journalism, cybersecurity content marketing writing, cybersecurity corporate writing. Can you name, please, the basic category for any cybersecurity topic and situation? Or does each of them has its own task and solution?
These are simply the kinds of writing that I offer.
4. We are living in a time of the pandemic. Please, tell us whether cyberattacks have become more frequent than the previous years since most employees switched to the online mode of work?
A pandemic can add to the F.U.D. (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) people have about using the internet. There can certainly be a lot of disinformation and propaganda falsifying what we hear about the pandemic and its severity and any possible cures. Spammers can use messages of apparent urgency about the pandemic to get people’s attention.
5. As the phrase goes, you are an old hand at cybersecurity issues. So, tell for our readers, please, if there are any top 5-10 safety rules that we should always follow.
Cybersecurity is increasingly chasing the mantra of Least Privilege, Zero Trust. That means you give people, machines, and software the least amount of capabilities they need to do their jobs. Zero Trust means you still treat them as if you can’t trust them at all. You’re constantly checking up on them.
Start with the assumption that you can’t trust anything on the internet and go from there. Only use services, software, and destinations that you know you know. Use the best security software on the market, and check up on what products are the best about every six months as what products are best can change. Learn the security and privacy options and settings that come with your software, websites, and devices and how to use them.
6. What are your plans and future development of the project? Maybe soon you will open offline courses or something else.
Future development is a trade secret and pending.
7. Your main interest is cybersecurity. Is there anything else that interests you? Maybe a hobby or topic? Or do cybersecurity issues consume all your time?
I do other kinds of writing just for myself, not commercially.
8. Can you recommend some resources for studying cybersecurity? Maybe blogs, books, or any other resources?
https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/information-technology/cybersecurity-industry-resources/
9. Have you ever heard anything about Utopia P2P Ecosystem (https://u.is/ )? This is a decentralized network designed for confidential data exchange and communication without censorship or restrictions. How can you evaluate the system in terms of functionality and cybersecurity? How do you think the ecosystem will be able to gain a firm foothold in the market?
I haven’t heard anything about Utopia. You need strong financial backing and a good brain trust.
10. Today, only a few people seriously think about cyber threats. Is it possible to change the attitude of internet users to the issue of cyber threats? Can you make your forecast for the next 5 years? What exactly will the internet look like?
The internet will connect to just about everything, doing all kinds of things where we can see the effects and many more things that we won’t see. These connections will multiply the security vulnerabilities. As more people experience the effects of cyberattacks, they will become increasingly conscious of them and reject vendors who don’t keep their products secure.
We thank David for this informative interview. We hope that our readers could learn more about the world of cybersecurity.
Stay tuned! There will be a lot of interesting things coming soon.
