1660604521904 Cd0907 Hacker

Be Safe in Cyberspace

Aug. 4, 2009
You Never Know When You Might Be the Target of a Cyber Attack. Trust Me, Hackers Are Out There. Protect Yourself!
By Katherine Bonfante, Managing Editor, Digital Media

Lately I've been obsessed with protecting my computer and information online. You never know when you might be the target of a cyber attack, and trust me, hackers are out there.

Inspired by the many credit-card TV commercials that portray hackers traveling through cyberspace and the home PC  just to get to your personal information, I've been increasing my security levels on my email accounts and social networks.

An innocent-looking email from an unknown sender or an otherwise friendly website you've come upon can put you a click away from having your identity stolen.

New White Papers

Risk Control Hierarchy Clarifies Electrical Safety
Provides electrical safety professionals a roadmap for setting safety objectives.

Safety Design of Machinery
Know what to consider in the future for your machine safety.

Holistic Approach to Safety Automation
How technology, global standards and open systems help increase productivity and OEE.

So this month, I want to focus on some online resources that ControlDeisgn.com has made available to better prepare you when you're fighting off cyber thieves or cyber viruses that can corrupt your computer files.

In June, technical editor Dan Hebert focused his column on cyber attacks. Hebert's article, "PC Access Could Invite Hackers," [Jun09, p19] talked about how hackers have a difficult time getting into your PLC or PAC, but they can easily get into your computer systems through the Internet. The article offers various solutions you can implement to protect your systems.

This white paper explores the experiences of a major power company in managing its way through a true paradigm shift and further narrowing the focus to the impact of these changes on substation networks, data management, technology risk management and cybersecurity.

Another resource I want to touch on is GE Energy's online security suite. GE Energy has integrated a global OEM agreement with Industrial Defender, a provider of cyber risk protection for critical infrastructure industries. The terms of the agreement allow GE to offer its customers Industrial Defender's technology suite.

Special to the Web

Automation TV
Not only can you watch videos in our multimedia library, but you also can access them at www.youtube.com/user/ControlControlDesign.

Follow Control Design on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Control_Design.

The offering is a cybersecurity technology integrated with smart-grid automation technologies such as energy management systems, distribution management systems and substation automation solutions. You can learn more about GE Energy's security suite at www.ControlDesign.com/industrialdefender.

If you wind up becoming the target of a cyber attack, don't worry. Here at ControlDesign.com, we can help you to obtain the right tools you need to fight off cyber trespassers.

Visit our website to get these and other resources. You also can email me and tell me if you have been the target of online hackers. Tell me what safety steps you've implemented to protect yourself, your plant and your systems. 

Sponsored Recommendations

2024 State of Technology Report: Motors, Drives & Motion

Motion makes manufacturing move. Motors and drives are at the core of industrial operations. Without them, production comes to a halt. This new State of Technology Report from...

Case Study: Conveyor Solution for Unique Application

Find out how the Motion Automation Intelligence Conveyor Engineering team provided a new and reliable conveyance solution that helped a manufacturer turn downtime into uptime....

2024 State of Technology Report: PLCs & PACs

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) have been a popular method of machine control since the PLC was invented in the late 1960s as a replacement for relay logic. The similarly...

Power Distribution Resource Guide

When it comes to selecting the right power supply, there are many key factors and best practices to consider.