You certainly know Black Mirror, a series in which each episode tells us about the use we make of machines and the power we give them. Chatbots, virtual reality and drones are some of the topics covered in this series that make us think about our ethical values and their relationship with technology. Behind each episode, there are several messages to keep in mind, many of which are related to information security. For today’s article, we’ve selected 3 security lessons we learned from Black Mirror!
With the Crocodile episode we learned that everything we do on the Internet leaves a trace. And this refers to publications on social media, exchanges of messages, among other actions. We can also include here the invisible traces, which we leave unintentionally, such as information about the IP, links visited and searches made on search engines. These data are used by companies that profile each user. The lesson to remember is that we should not behave riskily online, as everything we do can be monitored.
When we are desperate, we tend to use the first solution we find. And it is even easier to accept a proposal, if it looks perfect. However, when it comes to the online world, everything that looks miraculous is suspect. In the episode Black Museum we can prove it! The lesson to remember is that we have to be very careful about suspicious emails that offer us something. Do not click on links coming from e-mails whose sender doesn’t know and “run away” from applications and programs that call themselves “perfect”. In the online world, this is often synonymous with fraud!
In the episode Hang the DJ we are presented with an application that indicates the possibility of a relationship going well, analyzing the risks of the relationship. The episode tells us that it is not worth waiting to see if something goes right without analyzing the situation beforehand. The lesson to keep in mind is that the first step in making something work is to carefully analyze all the risks involved. In the world of information security, it is essential to analyze in detail all the risks of each action we take. It is necessary to analyze the vulnerability of each asset in the organization, calculate the probability of incidents and anticipate possible damage in order to outline a contingency plan. By anticipating the problems that may arise, we ensure that the IT infrastructure is prepared to handle all situations.
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