Canadians Under Siege: The Secret War Happening Online
Most Canadians would probably agree that leaving your front door unlocked isn't that scary thanks to bravery and courage of the few who serve as our protectors in the real world, but what about the digital doors to your life? The truth is, there's a secret war going on in the digital space, and Canadians are being targeted or hunted!
Every day, thousands of Canadians have their personal information put at risk by cyberattacks. Names, addresses, passwords – even your banking info – it's all on the table for the taking. And the worst part is, most of us don't even know it's happening.
Earlier this year in 2024, I started noticing weird activity on my home network, so I decided to dig into it. Turns out, my router was under constant network assult not from Canada. That's when I realized this wasn't just a problem for big companies, but it now affects regular people. You and me are being targeted too.
So I decided to set up a honeypot in a rootless container and sent all inbound ssh traffic to it. I wanted to see who was out there and what they were trying to do. It didn't take long before the attacks started rolling in. Day after day. Most of the attacks were coming from China. That's when I realized the true scale of the problem. It's like being in a crowded mall and realizing everyone around you is a pickpocket. And the scary thing is, most Canadians don't even know they're being targeted.
Most people have their private lives saved up digitally, and a very few people actually deploy measures to protect their digital assets. Digital asset protection today is more important than ever, as most individuals now hold some form of digital assets. Yet, we often overlook the security of our digital doors. Who's guarding the gates to our online lives? Is it the phone company? Our internet provider? The government? Right now, we're all on our own when it comes to protecting ourselves from these attacks. The problem is, it's not enough to just rely on ourselves for protection. We're dealing with a constantly changing threat, with new scams and attacks popping up all the time. It's like trying to fight a war without any backup. AI impersonation scam calls are skyrocketing, and left unchecked by cell providers because they sold our data, and our most vulnerable are left behind as prey.
Well, I've had enough, and so I reached out to a friend at doas, a security analyst (not the Amazon-certified clickers we once hired, story for another day), to do a full analysis of our network at the office. It came as a surprise to everyone that we were being targeted at work too. He then set up a robust IDPS for the office and even helped create some scripts to integrate the reporting into our existing system so we get notified each time an attack is detected and squashed.
Weeks after the IDPS was set up, sanity was restored. I got the same setup for my home network as well. I want to have the peace of mind knowing my family's digital life is protected just as much as their physical assets.
The bottom line is this: we can't ignore this problem anymore, because when someone tries to break into your home, you physically call the cops. Who do you call when someone tries to break into your digital space? We all need to take action to protect ourselves and our loved ones from these ever-present cyber threats. I'm puting cybar walls around my family and digital assets. Are you doing the same?
Find out how you can get some protection at doas before its too late!
Stay informed about the latest threats, use strong passwords, and be cautious about the information you share online. And if you're really worried, consider reaching out to a cybersecurity expert. Your digital safety matters.
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