AS HEARD ON NH Today WGIR-AM 610: Parler and Other New Social Sites, Emerging Risks and Vulnerabilities and more

Welcome,

Craig Peterson here. I was on with Jeff Chidester on NH Today. We hit a number of interesting tech topics this morning with Jeff Chidester.  We started off with Bitcoin, Silk Road, and the IRS, then we discussed California Prop 22 and the Gig Economy, then The Hammer and Scorecard Software developed by the CIA and how it may have been used in the election last week here in the USA. Then we got into business use of Cell Phones and Employees using their personal phones for business and the problem with misconfigured VPNs. Here we go with Jeff. 

These and more tech tips, news, and updates visit.

- CraigPeterson.com

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Automated Machine Generated Transcript:

Craig Peterson: [00:00:00] Don't use anti-virus use better than anti-virus. Microsoft's Free version of Windows Defender that comes with Microsoft Windows 10, and you should be using windows 10, is very, very good. Make sure everything's patched up. When was the last time you patched your light bulb, that is all internet-connected nowadays? Probably never. You've got, as a business, to do an inventory of everything that's on your networks, segment those networks, and make sure it's all up to date.

Good morning, Craig Peterson here. Thanks for being with me. I was on this morning with Scott Spradling over at an NH today. It's fun chatting with him and of course, it's heard all over Northern New England. We talked about a few different things. I'm enjoying chatting with Mr. Spradling here. Parler. Have you heard about Parler? What that's all about?  The sameness what's going on in manufacturing? We've got all kinds of attacks, and specifically, what must you do as a small business owner?

So here we go with Mr. Scott.

Scott Spradling: [00:01:10] There's a really interesting new sort of social media network if you will. A new channel that conservatives are beginning to embrace in big, big numbers. Have you ever heard of Parler? It's called Parler and that's like a Twitter-based kind of sort of a channel if you will. That's become very, very popular.

It's been around, since 2018, but the popularity of it has really, really skyrocketed. Joining us to talk a little bit about that and a few other topics is Craig Peterson.

Craig, good morning, sir.  How are you? Happy Monday.

Craig Peterson: [00:01:41] Hey, good morning, Scott. Happy Monday back to you. These things are getting huge

Scott Spradling: [00:01:46] What is Parler, and why is it so popular all of a sudden? What's going on with it?

Craig Peterson: [00:01:50] Well, Parler, which originally they called themselves parlay from the French. Let's just have a discussion here, right? A parlay. We learned that from Captain Jack over on Pirates of the Caribbean. But anyway,

Here's what it is. It is a replacement basically for Twitter. Parler has been very, very big about trying to make sure that they're not, they are absolutely not editing anything they're not adding their own editorial comments about people complaining. They're not blocking people off of these. So it's one of a number really that are out there right now.

Another big one is Magabook. M A G A book, which is a Facebook replacement. There's a replacement for all of these types of things because so many conservatives feel like they've been disenfranchised.

Scott Spradling: [00:02:41] Sure, sure.

That makes sense. Now, let me ask you this Craig because obviously there are so many lines of communication that are available for people to be able to connect and talk to one another.

Is there any concern from your perspective, that people will essentially retreat into talking to folks that are only in all ways, like-minded, and they're not really connecting with larger groups or folks that might have a different opinion or anything like that?

Cause like it, or lump it at least with Twitter and Facebook, everybody's there. Any concern about that?

Craig Peterson: [00:03:10] Well, they are kind of there, Scott. What's happened, and there was a big uproar about a decade ago, all of those Twitter and Facebook, particularly Facebook is giving you stuff that they think you will like.

Their goal is to keep you on that website. Their goal is to have your eyeballs there so they can show you advertising. So they can figure out you're trying to buy a brand new Ford pickup truck. Right.

Scott Spradling: [00:03:35] Ok, sure.

Craig Peterson: [00:03:36] That is what the goal is. The problem that we're actually seeing is even though there are certainly people from every walk of life and every political persuasion on Facebook and Twitter, you will not see things, for the most part. That disagrees with you. That's where Parler really is different. You see people on all sides of the spectrum here, you are not having your information moderated by a third party.

Scott Spradling: [00:04:02] Fair enough. All right. Let's change topics here a little bit. We're talking to Craig Peterson. Most businesses are now vulnerable to emerging risks that are not covered by their cyber insurance.

So this seems like a kind of a dangerous loophole. Especially now when we're also disconnected. Not being able to be in the same room. We're needing to deal with pandemic rules and social distancing. What is this about? What's the concern here? 

Craig Peterson: [00:04:25] What we've found now is that the insurance companies have a standard and the standard has to do with cybersecurity.

What are you doing? Are you training your employees? Is all of your software up to date? Are you using next-generation firewalls, et cetera? So now when you put in a claim on that $5 rider that you're paying for on your business insurance, as though that's going to cover you in the event of a hack, right? Ransomware.

You put in that claim, they're saying, well, have you met all of these standards? They were on page 7,263 subparagraph two of the document that you did not download from our website, but you said, I agree with it. That document has some very, very specific requirements. Everybody from these huge, huge corporations all over on down through mom and pop that have cyber insurance are finding that the insurance industry has decided that they are just plain not going to payout.

It got worse, Scott, about two weeks ago. We arrested, the United States Department of Justice, a handful, about six people, who were charged with terrorism through the use of ransomware and hacking. Terrorism now comes under another clause in the insurance policies and that is an act of war.

So if they can't fall back on, Hey, listen, you weren't doing what you're supposed to be doing for your cybersecurity. Now we're starting to see more insurance companies, when you put in a claim saying, Hey, my business just got destroyed by these hackers.

By the way, in most cases, businesses that are hacked will be out of business within six months and 10 to 20% closed the doors within a week.

Those companies are saying, the insurance company said, Hey, an act of war. We have no liability.

So

Scott Spradling: [00:06:22] Craig what is your advice to these businesses? If we're vulnerable, when you do get hit by them, it's it can be such a sort of career-ending, existential, kind of a moment. What's your advice to listeners who are saying, Oh, okay. I need to tighten down my defenses.

Craig Peterson: [00:06:36] There are a few things you should be doing. Bottom line tightening. You use the right word here. If you're on a windows system, make sure you are using windows defender and it's turned on. Make sure you have the latest versions of all of the firewalls. Great. Use the next-gen stuff. Use advanced malware protection.

We now have Symantec who for a long time had the anti-virus software, everyone was using, Who is completely changing their game. McAfee. Norton. We have cases of the heads in some of these C-levels of these companies coming out and saying our software is useless.

So don't use anti-virus use better than anti-virus.

Microsoft's free version of Windows Defender that comes with Microsoft Windows 10 and you should be wearing windows 10 is very, very good.

Make sure everything's patched up. When was the last time you patched your light bulbs that are all internet-connected nowadays? Probably never. 

Do an inventory of everything that's on your networks.

Segment those networks and make sure it's all up to date

Scott Spradling: [00:07:45] Just to underscore the fact that the threat is out there. You also found an article that talked about how manufacturing companies we're seeing the threat of ransomware. They're out there. They're knocking on these doors. They're stealing. They're making a mess out of everything. The risk is real right.

Craig Peterson: [00:07:59] It is very, very real.

We're seeing this year, somewhere around 30% of companies attacked. Which is absolutely huge. Manufacturing is really, really big now. Because of the fact that the Chinese believe it or not, it's true, are trying to break into our computer systems. I have clients here in New Hampshire who has had Chinese backdoors on their systems. They love manufacturing because now. They can take our designs. Our intellectual property. Take it to China, manufacture it there with no research and development costs. All they had to do with steal it. Now you're out of business because you can't compete against your own designs being manufactured in China.

We've gotta be very, very careful. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are really under attack right now. FBI has been warning about that. We're just talking about regular old manufacturing. Yes. They really are out to get you

Scott Spradling: [00:08:55] Craig Peterson, some sobering words, but at least some ideas and ways in which you can protect yourselves, especially online from the threats that come through these hackers.

Thank you very much for your time today. Have a wonderful Monday.

Craig Peterson: [00:09:07] All right. Take care. And you'll find more at CraigPeterson.com.

Scott Spradling: [00:09:11] Craig peterson.com.

Thanks very much. You're listening to New Hampshire today.

Craig Peterson: [00:09:14] I just listened to that interview again, and it was really quite fast-paced. Interesting. What do you guys think about the one and what a 10 minute, one hour, 10-minute podcast here on the weekend?

Let me know, drop me a line, please. At [email protected]. All right, take care. We'll be back tomorrow. Oh, and by the way, Scott was just telling me they will not be on the air next week, so I won't be on with them on all of their stations.

All right. Take care. Bye-bye.

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