A Cybersecurity Issue That's Hiding in Plain Sight

    HUNTSVILLE, AL, November 14, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Some language barriers, or problems in terminology, are so innocent sounding that they go unnoticed. PC security is the crux of just such a complex of misunderstanding. It means something much more specific than what is generally understood. And the real meaning of PC security is astonishingly overlooked. The penalty for this confusion is that, even with $170 billion a year spent on cybersecurity, the front door of our data networks, the information and communication systems on which our world depends, is wide open to disruption and even sabotage. This dimension is the missing piece of cybersecurity.

You might say that a deeper understanding of computer security is the key to the open front door of cyber defense. The real meaning of PC security is protecting the whole range of physical digital assets. It includes not only laptops, but also desktops, servers, and network connections. The most useful distinctions within this definition are those that discern whether the threat comes from unauthorized or illegitimate access through the cloud or the Web, and those that are transmitted directly to the digital assets from other devices, themselves infected or contaminated with viruses, malware, or other disruptive elements.

The direct transmission of contaminating elements is the consequence we pay for that open front door. The vast majority of physical ports and connectors that turn our digital devices into networks and facilitate efficient operations are simply unprotected. The solutions to this gaping vulnerability are abundant and inexpensive. Not only is this strange circumstance counter-intuitive, it is considered by some to be the greatest vulnerability of all in cyber defense. Some have called it absurd.

The threat from inside an organization is so great and so widespread that Carnegie Mellon University's Common Sense Guide to Mitigating Insider Threats is in its sixth edition. Since it was first published in 2005, the guide has continually been expanded, evolved, and developed to keep pace with the dynamic and escalating nature of cybersecurity threats from both employees and business partners.

More recently, in 2017, Carnegie Mellon established the National Insider Threat Center (NITC) to provide objective research on cybersecurity, and "to transition that knowledge to operational environments." Threat detection tools, baseline data, and metrics for evaluating products are among the many dimensions of the NITC mission, as the organization tries to answer, "which security is best for PC?"

So, the front door of PC security remains wide open because the vulnerabilities of physical access and insider contamination are largely overlooked. In addition, the distinction between the general topic of cybersecurity related to the World Wide Web and the specific, physical dimension of PC security is disregarded.

Your Dependable Resource for PC Security

The Connectivity Center deploys and makes available dozens of the best PC security and network security devices and tools that overcome these threats of attack or infection. The company offers an evolving array of USB port blockers, network port locks, and fiber optic port locks that provide physical protection for your computers and networks.

To keep your operations running smoothly by allowing access only to authorized personnel, the Smart Keeper series offers port blocking with the additional feature of serialized keys. With Smart Keeper, you can make sure that access goes only to those persons with "need to use" authority within your organization. Users report, too, that the presence of a Smart Keeper port blocker effectively reminds authorized users of the importance of that access, and their own responsibility for not running the risk of attaching an unknown or personal device there.

The visible circulatory system of your data network, the cables that connect computers in your network, are another point of vulnerability that can be protected by the PC security devices available from The Connectivity Center. Without the very best security products, a malicious user can simply unplug a device from the opposite end of a tethered cable. This direct route into your network can be effectively secured with Link Lock connectors from The Connectivity Center.

Still another layer of PC security can be added with the Link Lock Hub, which not only serves as a secure USB hub for your attached USB device, but also locks your devices so that they cannot be removed without authorized access.

About The Connectivity Center

The Connectivity Center is a supplier of some of the leading physical cyber security and AV connection technologies. The company is especially known for its Smart Keeper series – a portfolio of physical data security products. The Connectivity Center brand prides itself in quality, value, variety, and versatility. We want to be a one stop shop for most of your connectivity needs and we love to serve our partners in this evolving industry.

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