Cyber Op Sec
Hello there,
Data is the new oil. (Some of) the most valuable commodities today are data and computational power. Every industry today needs or wants to collect a certain amount of data about you, your business, or the world at large to increase productivity and profits; and sometimes the data is used for more nefarious purposes.
As the world becomes ever more technologically advanced, more and more of our data is available online. Property deeds, marriage licenses, drivers’ licenses, educational degrees/certificates, legal contracts, business contracts, personal photos, medical information, and personal details, etc will be increasingly digitally native and exist in cyberspace.
Your Data is Valuable & Vulnerable!
Hacks are constantly reported in the media (depending on the outlet you watch/monitor). More and more databases are added to the dark web, available to sell to the highest bidder, whether that is a hacker, big corporations, insurance companies, your government, or an enemy nation state. Most commonly individuals suffer from identity theft or coercion.
In fact, I was a victim of identity theft in 2022. I was shocked & surprised to find out someone in a nearby city had opened a credit card with a $10,000 limit. Thankfully I took action immediately and no money was spent, and no direct harm was incurred. But it certainly woke me up to the importance of data privacy and security. I wrote a whole post about My Journey Into Cybersecurity.
That is (one of many reasons) why I am building Cyber Op Sec.
Why Cyber Op Sec?
Cyber meaning cyberspace, the online & digital world. Op Sec is a military short form for operational security, meaning the security of your daily activities, habits and operations. Thus, the operational security of your online and digital life = Cyber Op Sec = cyberopsec.io.
I’ve created this website as a resource and guide for most non-technical people to be able to safely navigate the digital world, increase their privacy and secure their data. I’m a hobbyist looking to eventually expand into a cybersecurity career and potentially a small business dedicated to providing up to date, easy to use methods to protect your data.
We focus on helping you keep your data as private as possible which includes information on safely using social media, securing all of your online accounts with a password manager and two factor authentication (as well as how to back this up securely), keeping your communications and data private with a variety privacy focused services (both free and paid) including encrypted emails, VPNs, privacy focussed search engines, browsers, and much, much more!
Feel free to contact me with comments, questions, or stories of personal data breach issues, close calls or your own personal methods for your digital privacy at [email protected]
How I Became Interested in Cybersecurity
I’ve had an interest in online privacy and security for a number of years now. There is no specific moment in time that I became interested, rather it was a gradual interest that built over time due to the confluence of my beliefs, personality and personal/professional experiences.
The ingredients for the recipe of my interest in cybersecurity are: belief in traditional liberalism, personal experience of identity theft/fraudulent credit card, healthcare and military background and my interest in bitcoin (the asset, network and revolutionary technology that it is).
You can read more about my interest in cybersecurity by visiting my post, My Journey Into Cybersecurity.