Cyberspace holds more than cat videos Published Aug. 19, 2015 By Senior Airman Tara A. Williamson Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- As the joint base enters its fourth consecutive month of Force Protection Condition Bravo, the Antiterrorism Office reminds everyone to stay vigilant, both on and off base. However, physical protection is not the only thing the joint base community needs to be cautious about. With several cyberattacks happening in recent months, including the compromise of the U.S. Army's home page, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management records and the U.S. Central Command social media sites, it is clear to see cyberterrorists are very active. "If a compromise were to happen, the member would contact their cybersecurity liaison (formerly information assurance officer) and their unit security manager," said Rita Torrejos-Holm, 87th Communications Squadron information assurance chief. "From there, the Cybersecurity Office would work at assessing the situation." The Information Protection Office may block a site from the network, or an advisory could be sent out for users notifying them of a threat. The severity of the situation determines who will need to be involved and on what level. "Within the last year, we had an issue on the 87th Force Support Squadron site," Torrejos-Holm said. "Because it affected everybody and it is a quality of life, morale and welfare service, it got reported through the channels and it was dealt with appropriately to get up and running again." Threats aren't always obvious and what someone thinks is a trusted site may be host to something sinister. Among these threats-in-disguise are viruses or malware that attack systems behind-the-scenes when users click on links, open phishing emails and visit unprotected social media accounts. Cyberterrorists look for any way to gain access to the network and a compromise occurs when a cyberterrorist is able to access a workstation through cyberspace. That means when members are clicking through the endless world of cat videos, they may also present a threat. Phishing emails are an attempt to obtain sensitive information, usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity through electronic communication. Many people are unaware of how to best protect their social media pages. A secure password is a person's initial protection against a hacker. Incorporating uppercase and lowercase letters with numbers and symbols can increase the strength of the password. Creating an acronym is an easy way to remember a password; something like "90s rock is my favorite music" could be "90$Rimfm." "To me, the biggest risk is social media," she said. "Facebook, Twitter and email may not seem dangerous to people, but they just don't know." Most social media site's default settings have new member accounts set to public. With this, any personal information, email address, birthday, phone number and address, is available to anyone who views the page. Certain websites can also track a user's location unless it is specifically turned off in settings. A person logged into a social media site or checking email on a network computer may also click an ad while at work and unknowingly open a window for a virus to enter that system. When all is said and done, the first line of defense in cybersecurity is the user. Members are encouraged to read emails sent by their CSLs to be informed of the latest updates. By applying this cyber knowledge and the tips provided by the 87th CS, the joint base can be more resilient to cyberattacks and better able to protect its cyberspace. To learn more about resources available to those affected by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management breaches, personnel can visit the OPM Web page. If a member's information has been exposed, steps to combat the breach can be found at the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Information site.