Awareness module on hackers and hacking

We've just completed and delivered  our security awareness and training module about hackers - a topic we haven’t covered specifically for a few years, although most of the awareness modules at least touch on hacking – some more than others,

The hacking risks have changed perceptibly in that time. The rise of state-sponsored (spooky!) hacking is of great concern to those of us who care about critical national infrastructures, human society and world peace. The United Nations is due to meet in a couple of weeks to discuss the possibility of reaching agreement on the rules of cyberwarfare, mirroring those for conventional, nuclear and biological warfare. Let’s hope they manage to align the ~200 countries represented at the UN – a tough task for the diplomats, politicians and cyberwar experts. That aspect gives a distinctly sinister tinge to the awareness module, and yet I hope we’ve succeeded in keeping the materials reasonably light, interesting and engaging as ever, a delicate balance. 

Bug bounties merit a mention this time around as an innovative way to get hackers on-side that seems to be paying off for some organizations. Of course, not all hackers will be enticed by the filthy lucre but those who are help the organizations address vulnerabilities that otherwise might have been exploited. Reducing information risks and earning legitimate income has to be A Good Thing, right?