Cybersecurity: past, present and future

John McAfee, creator of the McAfee antivirus software, is running for the White House in the 2016 election under the banner of his own Cyber Party. Criticising the US government for their "incompetence" in an alleged cyberwar being waged by China, and accusing presidential hopeful Donald Trump of “never having written an email”, McAfee says he’s the only candidate asking the right questions about cybersecurity today.
While not representative of the actual cybersecurity threats we face, this high-profile media story nonetheless focuses attention on how we protect ourselves in today’s digital world. It’s an issue that’s been raised since the first computers were connected across a network, and it comes into sharper focus with each new cyber controversy.
 

Cyber-attacks “begins”

It all began in 1983. In the first case of its kind, hacker Kevin Mitnick was arrested by the FBI for illegally infiltrating the Pentagon’s computer network. Since then, the number of cyberattacks has grown exponentially: according to McAfee, 556 million consumers were victimised by cybercrime in 2012 and an estimated €300 billion to €1 trillion was lost due to global cyber activity. Because we’ve become so dependent on digital technologies, it’s more important than ever to take cybersecurity seriously. The watchwords today are vigilance, resilience and a holistic approach to cyber risk. After all, no one wants to go back to using a fax machine because of a cyberattack!
 

Europe calls for closer supervision and control

Cyberattacks can be relatively harmless — so-called "script kiddies" sometimes test their hacking abilities by defacing a website — but others can lead to a major crisis. The theft of personal data from corporations is the objective of most cyberattacks today, and companies failing to implement an effective system to protect their customer data, which hackers typically sell on for profit, are coming under increasing criticism.
Following the example of ANSSI, France’s national agency for information system security, Europe is setting up the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), tasked with developing a set of legally binding instruments and closer cooperation. For companies, the issue will be to "embed data protection and privacy into their processes as a factor of competitive performance".
John McAfee is riding a growing wave of awareness on the part of American corporations — many of whom are now appointing Chief Privacy Officers — by focusing his campaign on personal data protection. He hopes the issue will speak to the people directly affected by the recent cyber scandals: in the eBay and PlayStation Network breaches in 2015, for example, the personal data of 200 million customers was compromised.
 

Smartphones, smart watches, smart cities…

As individuals, our personal and professional lives will be as dependent on cybersecurity as companies and other organisations are today. Information systems are permeating every aspect of our existence. Homes, cities, cars and watches — not to mention reputations — are being transformed by cyberspace, and the transformation can seem out of control. But citizens have a right to expect their digital capital to be protected. Forming a political party may be one way to meet those expectations, above all because it focuses attention on the threats that exist. Because as McAfee's bid for the White House reminds us, being aware of our surroundings, putting effective protections in place and sharing our knowledge is a duty for citizens and governments alike.
 

Digital protection for today and the years ahead

Thales is a leading player in data protection in France, and the recent acquisition of Vormetric will further strengthen this leadership. The company also obtained official qualification as a PASSI audit services provider in 2015, after an audit process defined by ANSSI.  (https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/critical-information-systems-and-cybersecurity/event/thales-gains-anssi-approval-it-security-auditor).
Thales offers a range of tailored, modular and resilient solutions spanning all aspects of cybersecurity:
Teopad, a secure workspace on smartphones and tablets, certified by ANSSI, France’s national agency for information system security. (https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/critical-information-systems-and-cybersecurity/press-release/thaless-teopad-solution-obtains-anssi)
Cyris for Outlook, specially developed by Thales and natively integrated with Office 365, it can be used directly in the Outlook interface. Cyris lets users encrypt, share and store sensitive files by email. (https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/critical-information-systems-and-cybersecurity/magazine/encrypt-your-data-cyris-outlook-thales)

For more information about our cybersecurity and critical information system security solutions: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/cybersecurity/our-global-offer