On June 14, the Democratic National Committee announced that its computer system had been hacked. Rick Forno, director of UMBC’s graduate program in cybersecurity and assistant director of the UMBC Center for Cybersecurity, discussed the “ongoing process” of stopping such attacks during a segment on the WOSU Radio’s “All Sides” show.

Forno made clear that there is no single, permanent solution to thwarting cyber threats, and a single mistake or vulnerability can have a major impact on digital security.. “All it takes is one person who does something wrong”—opening an email or plugging in a thumb-drive containing malware—“to place the entire organization at risk,” he says.

Forno also focused on the challenge of educating people about how to practice safe computing, and turning those practices into regular habits. The issues that arise with computing are as much human-based as they are technology-based, he suggests, plus, “You attack one problem and three more pop up the next day.”

To understand how a hack happened and to prevent hackers from taking advantage of vulnerabilities in the future, Forno suggests collecting and analyzing “artifacts” of the attack—things the hackers left behind—and heightening ongoing monitoring of key systems, approaches the DNC is likely now taking.

Listen to the full All Sides show. Forno’s remarks begin around 26:00.

Image: Rick Forno. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

As they navigate the internet, people leave digital fingerprints in their wake, and companies regularly use this data to learn more about their customers and target audiences. If this data ends up in the hands of hackers, however, the information can be compromised, and as more data is stored electronically the risk of identity theft increases.

Rick Forno, assistant director of the UMBC Center for Cybersecurity and director of the Cybersecurity Graduate Program at UMBC, describes in The Daily Record tools to disguise digital fingerprints and protect personal information online. TrackOFF, a Baltimore-based software company, is one example highlighted in the piece, but Forno also notes that there are a variety of ways to keep online information private.

Forno says that younger generations are “more comfortable sharing material on the internet,” and recommends internet users balance the convenience of data sharing with care to protect their identities.

“I think the benefits of sharing is sort of the attraction, but people don’t think about ‘what am I giving up along the way?’,” cautions Forno.

Read the full article “Baltimore cyber company disguises digital fingerprints,”in The Daily Record.

Update: Forno also spoke with The Baltimore Sun about technologies that help protect data online, such as the ones created by TrackOFF. The article appeared in Government Technology.

Image: Rick Forno. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

Maryland Dept. of Commerce recognizes Dean Julie Ross for advancing STEM education

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