Cyber-Security Incentives
Yesterday, I brought you the story of growing startups and tech in Africa, and the cyber-security issue that those companies face when it comes to eCommerce. Namely, there are no cyber-security laws in place in most parts of Africa. This fact puts a lot of would-be online shoppers on edge. In the U.S., things are better when it comes to cyber-security, but still not perfect.
Obama's Fight for Cyber-Security
When President Obama was elected, one of his mandates was to work on tightening cyber-security laws. In fact, he had some very specific goals. A few months ago, the White House was able to create a voluntary rundown of potential cyber-security goals and incentives. But, a voluntary adoption of a list of suggestions doesn't make for better all-around cyber-security.
So what's the holdup? Mostly, cyber-security isn't seen as a pressing or important matter when it comes to politics. The world hasn't grasped the need for better and stricter cyber-security laws, so it seems. However, there are those incentives to consider.
Security Breaches in 2014 in the U.S prompted reforms on cyber security laws. State Attorney General, Eric T. Schneiderman came up with a comprehensive report which showed that the number of security breaches reported in the State of New York between 2006 and 2013 had almost tripled, a trend which was alarming. Schneiderman announced a creation of new law after the proposal of President Obama.
Expectations with cyber security Law
- Robust and comprehensive
- Increase protection for customers
In most of the states in the U.S., companies’ are only required to report a theft of passwords and e-mail addresses. Regardless of this, there are still quite many businesses that report security breaches to authorities in light of upholding transparency in the organization. It is however not a legal requirement to do so.
In a case of a security, breach companies were only expected to notify those whose information is compromised and not the authorities, with proposed new cybersecurity law.
Why Adopting These Goals Makes Sense
If you're running any kind of online business, it makes good sense to put the White House's new voluntary cyber-security goals in place in your business. Why? The government is offering any company that complies special grants, insurance when something goes wrong, and other incentives that are really worth looking into.
Plus, having cyber-security goals in place is really not a bad thing. It's also something that you can absolutely sell to your clients. There's another side to this coin too, though. Implementing these cyber-security suggestions means working with the government on cyber-security issues, and that's not something that a lot of business owners are willing to jump into head first.
What Should You Do?
When it comes to cyber-security, what matters should you take into your own hands? There's no doubt that you need to have strict and secure security methods in place, that much is obvious. But, should you allow the government to work with your business when it comes to developing those measures? Maybe. Or, maybe not.
Right now, in this writer's opinion, the government needs to set laws for itself where requesting private information is concerned. Once that happens, business owners will feel much more secure in adopting cyber-security measures that involve government interaction. It is necessary to have some kind of security measure in place on the government level when it comes to the Internet. However, we may not be there just yet.
Cyber-Security Incentives: Protecting Yourself
As an individual, you can also work towards your own cyber-security. Make sure that any site you use has a password-protected login. Check to ensure that this login is encrypted in some manner, and that the company you're dealing with is adequately secure. These things may seem trivial, but they are really your best line of defence against any possible cyber attacks.
When it comes to running a cheap cloud hosting or other cheap web hosting company, keep client security in mind also. Be sure that your clients are safe, your site can be trusted, and that you do disclose any government compliance should you choose to go that route.
What do you think?
The dark web poses great security challenge. It allows anonymous cyber criminals to do offensive activities. An author said that dark web and terrorists seem to complement each other. It has turned into a major platform for global terrorism and criminal activities. By some efforts users can monitor the dark web. Owners can map the hidden services directory by deploying nodes in the DHT. Customer data monitoring by looking for connections to non-standard domains.