As the war in Ukraine continues, widespread reports warn of the risk of Russian cyberattacks, including on critical U.S. infrastructure.  On March 21, the White House published a FACT SHEET warning of “the potential for Russia to engage in malicious cyber activity against the United States . . .” and listing steps for companies to take to bolster their cyber security.  New York elected officials and security officers issued a warning about attacks directly aimed at New Yorkers. Conversely, The National Law Review reported the “IT Army of Ukraine” – 400,000 volunteers – is attacking Russian networks “to assist [Ukraine’s] defensive military operations.” Each of us could be affected by a successful strike on high level targets, whether from a slowdown of the financial system by an attack on payment processors, a temporary interruption of a portion of the power grid or, worse, a disruption of our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts from a distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

The Tips page of the federal Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) website provides a wealth of information on a number of current cyber security topics such as Securing the Internet of Things, Keeping Children Safe Online, Supplementing Passwords, Staying Safe on Social Networking Sites, Proper Disposal of Electronic Devices, Preparing for Tax Season, Holiday Traveling with Personal Internet-Enabled Devices, and Shopping Safely Online, as well as an entire Archive of additional explanatory warnings. Typically, the Tips are one-to two minute reads, and are worth every minute (or two) of it. Make a point of checking the site regularly for good cyber hygiene.

Remember, “[t]he number one key to success:  learn to learn.” – Arian Adeli Koodehi