Inspired Post #2: The Next Frontier - Cybersecurity & Social Media

After talking with Jim Lewis at CSIS, I began thinking about what was next for cybersecurity. We already have so many threats and issues we are attempting to tackle, but the nature of this entity is ever-changing. Therefore, I wonder what the next frontier of threats will bring. Since we have been talking about social media and the changing role this had played on so many different areas of technology, some incorporation of the two seems like a logical next step. In doing some research, not everyone agrees that this threat is the most dangerous or imminent but there seems to be a consensus that this issue is only on the rise. 

It may seem like a simple threat, just personal information and friend lists, but with the increase of social media for professional purposes and specialized trends tracking this could become a serious threat. If you’ve ever talked to someone who has had their identity or financial information compromised or completely stolen, they most often will tell you it is a nightmare to recover from. In addition to compromised information, threats also come in the form of dissemination of misinformation. Although typically only occurring on smaller scales, this could pose significant threats to individuals, companies, and government entities if used incorrectly. Finally, as we have seen in our discussion regarding Iran and China, third party tracking of information in the cyber realm can lead to very real consequences for individuals. Morozov touched on this a bit in his book as did our Iran twitter presenter, but it is all too easy to acknowledge and dismiss from our cozy seats here in the U.S. However, for many individuals in the rest of the world this is a daily threat they face if they want to use social media to speak out.

Although not the most drastic threat individuals face in terms of cybersecurity, I think there are a few important lessons we can gain from this new frontier. Most importantly, it highlights the critical need for regulation and caution with the changing face of technology, the internet, and social media. Despite its structured format, I think this video really serves to highlight just what type of a threat we’re facing when it comes to social media and cybersecurity today.