Articles by Security Mentor and media mentions.

In the News
10/19/2016
Take a tip from one of the world’s best known hackers, Kevin Mitnick, who for 20 years was on the FBI’s most wanted list until he was caught in 1995 and jailed for five years. Today Mitnick runs a private consulting company that claims a 100 percent successful track record of penetrating the security of any system he is paid to hack.
In the News
10/12/2016
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West were robbed at gunpoint in her apartment in Paris by five men on October 3. The thieves stole a ring and other jewelry worth approximately $10 million (USD), and a couple cell phones. What is the immediate risk? Marie White, CEO and President of Security Mentor, stresses that the immediate risk to Kardashian depends on how well she has secured her device in the first place.
In the News
10/11/2016
As more and more devices enter cyberspace, the online security concerns are growing just as fast. In fact, new Internet of Thingscv devices are being taken over and used as attack vectors. Here are some top DDoS stories from the past few months.
In the News
10/10/2016
With all the security requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), it may seem redundant to consider setting up a security awareness program at a medical practice. But, such a program—to educate employees about security challenges and safe practices—could help prevent any security mishaps. Dan Lohrmann, chief security officer at training agency Security Mentor, Inc., says people make up 80% of the security challenges most organizations face.
In the News
10/5/2016
Kim Kardashian-West was robbed at gunpoint inside her Paris hotel room by two armed masked men posing as police officers. In addition to the millions of dollars worth of jewelry they stole, they also took two cell phones before fleeing on bikes. Marie White, CEO and president, Security Mentor, noted via email that the immediate risk to Kardashian-West—and the potential benefit to the thieves—depends on what she has done to protect her phone. If she is using an encrypted phone with a strong passphrase, her risk is low (assuming she doesn’t have that passphrase written down in anything that was stolen).
In the News
9/22/2016
State information technology officials have strengthened their defenses against hackers and cybercriminals who attack their computer networks millions of times a day, but admit they’re not fully prepared for increasingly complex threats that could expose the personal information of their residents. A report by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) and consulting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP released Tuesday revealed that cybersecurity is the foremost priority for state IT officers, who are highly concerned about increasing efforts, especially by sophisticated crooks, to breach their systems.
In the News
9/21/2016
State information technology officials have strengthened their defenses against hackers and cybercriminals who attack their computer networks millions of times a day, but admit they’re not fully prepared for increasingly complex threats that could expose the personal information of their residents. A report by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) and consulting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP released Tuesday revealed that cybersecurity is the foremost priority for state IT officers, who are highly concerned about increasing efforts, especially by sophisticated crooks, to breach their systems.
In the News
9/20/2016
Election databases have emerged as attractive targets for hackers, as they have already infiltrated systems in at least two states, Illinois and Arizona. The number of attempts by cyber criminals to compromise these databases are likely to accelerate, said Tom Landesman, a threat researcher at Cloudmark, a San Francisco-based provider of intelligent threat protection.
In the News
9/17/2016
Is any individual or any business safe from cyberattacks? The answer to this question plays out in the following pages, where Michigan experts at the forefront of cybersecurity weigh in on ransomware, connected vehicles and the Internet of Things. Just how secure are we? It’s a fine line between cybersafety and cybercrime.
In the News
9/8/2016
Cyber criminals are quite adept at stealing data, money and privacy. No network is off limits as they exploit any point of weakness they find in businesses, homes, institutions, automobiles, utility networks and other portals. And their tactics evolve faster than security professionals can manage them. The question is, can we leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive computing to win the war against cyber criminals?
In the News
9/1/2016
If you’d like to expand your experience in the cybersecurity field, don’t reject the idea of working for the federal government. Thanks to the feds' new training and development programs, and intention to hire 3,500 more individuals for cybersecurity and IT positions by January 2017, things are looking rosy for cybersecurity pros willing to embrace government IT.
In the News
8/30/2016
In 2016, hacktivism has become a mainstream force impacting millions of global lives. ‘Hacking for a cause’ has now become a weapon that transcends far beyond ‘antisocial geek misfit’ boundaries. From the DNC email hack to the Panama Papers, a surge in new hacktivism is now the top anti-establishment online tool for achieving a diverse set of causes around the globe.