Guest Speaker:

Eric Larson 

Today’s amazing guest speaker is Eric Larson! Eric Larson is the Senior Director at IT Futures Labs at Creating IT Futures and went to Duke University for a B.A in English and East Carolina University for his Master of Business Administration. On top of those impressive achievements, Eric Larson has certifications, such as CompTIA Project+ and CompTIA Strata. 

Eric Larson has worked in journalism and nonprofit fields for over 20 years. In recent years Eric has led the creation of several curricula for adult technology learners, and is currently leading initiatives aimed at interesting more teens in tech careers.

You can read more about Eric Larson here and here! 

Cyber Bytes: Colonial Pipeline Attack

On Friday May 7th a ransomware attack caused the largest oil pipeline in the US to close down. This was the Colonial Pipeline that provided 50% of the oil to the East Coast as well as produced over 2.5 million barrels of oil in a day. The US has never faced a cyber security threat like this and this ransomware attack is considered to be one of the most harmful attacks in history. The Colonial Pipeline also helps to supply oil to the Gulf Coast and to main airports in the United States. This attack is a massive hit to the US economy and due to this attack people will most likely be seeing a spike in gas prices. Colonial has not given a time estimate in when they think the pipeline will be able to be opened again. 

Currently the cybersecurity firm FireEye is working with the US government in order to help solve this issue. Ransomware is when an outside party will hack into and encrypt a company’s software and demand money for the data to be released. The group behind the attack has been identified as “DarkSide” who have also been linked to other high profile ransomware attacks. Details about the attack have not been released to the public, but the most likely way that the malware was able to enter into the system is through a phishing scheme.

 The Colonial Pipeline attack only highlights how vulnerable the United States is to further cyber security attacks in the future. Soon attacks similar to SolarWinds could happen to the US. With over 300,000 unfilled cyber security jobs in the United States, cyber security specialists are in high demand. These types of attacks can be avoided. With proper phishing training, and a secured system malware will not be able to enter into the system. Hopefully the Colonial Pipeline attack will inspire more people to consider entering into the cyber security field to help prevent attacks like this in the future. 

Here are some useful resources for more information about the attack:

• https://www.reuters.com/technology/colonial-pipeline-halts-all-pipeline-operations-after-cybersecurity-attack-2021-05-08/
• https://waterfall-security.com/ransomware-targets-largest-gasoline-pipeline-usa/

Technology Corner – Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrencies have become a global phenomenon known to most people but still not fully understood by most people. Many people and banks understand the importance of cryptocurrencies. 

Cryptocurrency allows a means of carrying out a transaction digitally. Cryptocurrency is a digital asset designed to work as a medium exchange for financial transactions. The value and uniqueness of cryptocurrency is the way cryptocurrency is tracked and recorded. 

History of Cryptocurrency

• 1983-2008: Pre-Bitcoin
• 2008: Satoshi Nakamoto Paper
• 2009: Bitcoin Launched
• 2010: Rival Coins are Valued
• 2011: Bitcoin rivals
• 2013: Bitcoin Crashes
• 2014: Scams & Theft Expand
• 2016: Bitcoins Greatest

View this E-mate: https://bit.ly/358jldv

Cyber Opportunities: CompTIA Certifications

CompTIA has four different certification pathways that you can pursue! These include core, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and additional career paths. The basic CompTIA certification is A+ (A Plus). The CompTIA A+ is an entry-level certification generally earned by computer service technicians. To obtain the A+ certification, an individual must pass an exam that demonstrates the individual’s knowledge and skill in operating, installing, customizing and maintaining computers.

To sign up or find more information, go on this website here.