One click, real damage

Ransomware locks up your data or your device until you pay. For older adults, families and small businesses, a single wrong tap turns into a financial and security mess.

What zero trust means

Dr. Christopher Whyte says zero trust is the backbone of workplace security now. The rule is simple: past precautions never make you safe today.

“never assume you are safe because of the security steps you have already taken”

Assume the caller is lying

Whyte's version for regular people is blunt. When the phone rings, start from the position that whoever is on the other end is not who they claim to be.

“if somebody calls you and almost no matter what they say, immediately consider them to be untrustworthy”

Infrastructure is the target

Criminals and nation-state actors are hitting American infrastructure. The Medusa ransomware group alone hit more than 300 major organizations, from hospitals to factories, and DHS says more is coming.

When data death kills

What worries Whyte most is attackers who never intend to hand back the key. Encrypt a hospital's records and nurses lose access to which medications a patient needs, and how much.

“They're not looking for money. They're just looking to encrypt the data, and they'll never give you the key”

People are switching over

Aging expert Amy O'Rourke resisted living this way, then fraudulent texts piled up and she changed. Gerontologist Sam Cradduck ignores unknown numbers entirely unless you text first.

“We can't trust anyone. We can't.”