“Fright or death” is an expression used to present a forced choice between two negative options, where one causes fear or shock (the fright) and the other is fatality (death).
When it comes to cybersecurity, it might not be so extreme… or maybe it is.
In any case, before any serious consequences arise, let’s use this children’s game metaphor for something very adult: our digital life.
Imagine that this digital life is your home.
For years, we have been taught that security consisted of putting a good armored door at the entrance (antivirus) and locking it with a key (passwords).
But what if the thief doesn’t break down the door, but instead enters disguised as a delivery driver? Or what if your own toaster is his accomplice and opens the window for him at night?
The world of cybersecurity is constantly changing.
It’s no longer just about hooded hackers typing green code; it’s about digital hygiene and also, of course, some common sense in a world where everything, absolutely everything, even light bulbs, are connected to the internet.
Here we tell you what’s coming and how to protect your castle, without falling into paranoia or madness.
The Perfect “Disguises”:
Artificial intelligence has brought wonderful things, but it has also given cybercriminals the ultimate disguise: the voice or image of your loved ones.
- The danger: Today, with just a few seconds of audio taken from a video on any of the social networks you visit daily, an AI can clone the voice of your child, your partner, or even your boss.
- The scam: You get a call. It sounds exactly like your distressed child asking for money, or your boss demanding an urgent transfer. Fear paralyzes you, and you act quickly.
- The solution: Agree on a code word today with your family or team (e.g., “Telescope”). If someone calls you with a strange emergency, ask, “What’s the code?” If they don’t know, hang up. It’s a low-tech shield against the most advanced technology. Extraordinarily effective.
When convenience comes at a high price (The Internet of Things):
We love that the vacuum cleaner cleans itself and that the TV obeys our commands. But we’re paying for those “conveniences” with our privacy.
- The spy who sweeps your house: To prevent a robot vacuum cleaner from bumping into the sofa, some models need to “see” your house. They create maps and take pictures.
- The reality: We generally think it’s just a machine seeing that, but to train the machine, sometimes humans are needed. There was a well-known case (reported by the MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW where photos taken by vacuum cleaners (including images of a woman in the bathroom and children) ended up being leaked on social media because the workers responsible for labeling the data shared them. It is, literally, a rolling camera inside the house connected to the internet.
Planned Obsolescence:
You buy a state-of-the-art lock for your house, but after a year the manufacturer stops selling the oil to lubricate it. It rusts and anyone can break it.
- This happens with the Internet of Things (IoT). Many devices stop receiving security updates after a short time, the company goes bankrupt, or it gets hacked.
- These devices work, but they are vulnerable.
- If your security camera is a few years old and the manufacturer no longer exists or does not update it, it is best to disconnect it.
Does your fridge really need Twitter?
Your Smart TV has microphones. Your refrigerator knows what you buy. That data is sold to create a consumer profile about you.
Ask yourself: Does this device really need to be connected to the internet to work? If the answer is no, don’t give it your Wi-Fi password. And as a consumer, should I always buy every Wi-Fi-connected device? Are the wonders it promises worth it? Are they essential?
The Rebellion of the Light Bulbs (Botnets):
It sounds like the title of the next Hollywood movie… but it’s real. Sometimes, some cybercriminals (oh, and there are female cybercriminals too, because this genre is very gender-balanced) don’t want your information: they want your devices to build an army.
- What is a Botnet? The criminals infect thousands of poorly protected devices (such as smart bulbs, cameras, routers…) and give them one order at a time: “Attack that website.”
- You don’t realize it. Your light bulb is still giving off light, but “behind the scenes” it’s sending data that could crash the servers of a bank or a hospital. Unbeknownst to you, your home is participating in a cyberwar.
The Invisible Price: Surveillance Capitalism
You might be thinking, “I’m not important, I’m not famous, why do they want my data?” This is where the concept of [missing information] comes in SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM.
To understand it, imagine there’s an invisible man following you around all day with a notebook. He doesn’t say anything, he just writes down: what you have for breakfast, which doctor you go to, whether you pay your rent on time, what you say to your voice assistant, and even if you’re looking for baby clothes online.
That man then goes to a public square and sells your notebook to the highest bidder: a bank, an insurance company, or a clothing store.
Those people with the notebooks exist, they’re called DATA BROKERS (giants like AXXIOM or EXPERIAN) and become millionaires selling the blueprints of your life. Then these data brokers get hacked (EQUIFAX CASE) and the data presented.
They don’t spy on you because you’re a secret agent, but because you’re a consumer. They know when you’re sad so they can sell you food, or when you’ve caught the flu, or when you’re exhausted, so they can sell you medicine or vitamins.
Digital hygiene is not just about security; it’s about kicking that invisible man out of your house and preventing your private life from becoming just another product on the shelf of a giant market.
Your Digital Hygiene Kit:
There’s no need to throw your phone in the river and go to the mountains (or maybe there is?). We just need a little cleaning:
- Connection minimalism: If your washing machine has Wi-Fi but you never use the app, disconnect it. Fewer open doors, less risk.
- Cover up and be quiet: Check your TV’s permissions. If you don’t use voice control, disable the microphone.
- Upgrade or die: Keep your devices updated. If a device is very old and no longer supported, it’s risky to keep it connected.
- The Secret Code: Talk to your family or team today and choose your safe word.
The internet is an amazing place, but our home/business should be sacred.
Let’s take care of our keys, close the digital windows we don’t use, and above all, let’s use common sense.
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