By Wendy Leung, Ventura County Star, Calif.
The panel of cybersecurity experts who convened on Tuesday didn’t mean to scare people, but in a time when sophisticated hackers are thriving, fear is hard to avoid.
“If you ever think you’re protected, that’s a bad place to be, because you’re not,” said Mike Pettit, chief information officer for Ventura County.
Pettit was among the experts and elected officials who gathered at California Lutheran University for a cybersecurity discussion hosted by Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks. As chair of the Assembly select committee on cybersecurity, Irwin wanted residents and local leaders to learn more about the ever-evolving nature of online threats.
Hackers pose such a significant threat because so much in our lives is digitally connected, experts said. Everything from the wristbands that track our steps to the home thermostat that operates wirelessly is linked to the Internet.
“Each one of these things is connected to a network that presents a new opportunity for crime,” Pettit said.
The approximately 50 people who attended didn’t need local experts to remind them of the threat. The headlines lately have been dominated by cybercrimes.
Target, Apple App Store and multiple California State University campuses have all shared recent headlines concerning security breaches, evidence that electronic crimes affect public and private infrastructure alike.
In August, Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order to establish a state Cybersecurity Integration Center, an effort to link cybercrime reporting and response across the state. Legislation penned by Irwin mandating a minimum number of cybersecurity assessments on state networks is awaiting the governor’s signature.
Panelists said there is still a lot of work to be done to raise awareness of this issue. While everyone may have locks on their doors and windows, many do not have similar protection on their computer systems.
“You as a consumer have to start applying your consumer knowledge and way of doing business into the way you operate with a computer,” said Bill Britton, director of cybersecurity at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Ventura County Undersheriff Gary Pentis said criminals are finding it easier to steal identities than to sell drugs. Pentis warned consumers against using free email services that offer free spam control and said credit card skimmers can be found everywhere from gas stations to restaurants.
“We’re at risk is what I’m telling you,” Pentis said. “The next new thing, there’s a new thing to break it.”
Irwin will host an Internet Safety workshop geared for teens and their families at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at 816 Camarillo Springs Road, Camarillo. In November, Irwin will host a workshop in Moorpark to raise awareness of scams that target seniors.
©2015 Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
