Cybersecurity expert stresses necessity to develop preventive measures to combat cybercrimes

(Interview by: Yousef Al-Tattan) KUWAIT, Jan 27 (KUNA) - A US cybersecurity expert stressed the need to support and develop preventive measures to combat the steadily increasing threat of cybercrime, which has become more complex and poses a real threat to institutions and companies all over the world.
During an interview with KUNA, former member of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and former American diplomat, Christensen Guillermo, said that prevention is the most efficient and least expensive method, financially and morally, compared to reaction measures after the occurrence of a cybercrime.
Guillermo affirmed that he is presenting a series of lectures and workshops directed to specialists in the field of cybersecurity in various ministries and private sectors this week, in which he talks about preventive measures in their institutions. And also addressing the various possible cases and scenarios that may penetrate their systems and data.
He pointed out that the US is the country most vulnerable to digital crimes of all kinds, due to the largest number of access points or computers, indicating that the Internet infrastructure is global and that protecting networks in different countries, especially Kuwait, and supporting its security will also positively affect the cybersecurity of the US directly.
He stressed that sharing knowledge and experiences and discussing different scenarios of cybercrime will help countries and their institutions in general avoid catastrophic crises that may be posed by the penetration of digital space and data into e-networks.
Furthermore, he pointed out that cybercrimes are witnessing a significant increase, as a report issued in 2020 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US (FBI) indicates that the number of cyber-attacks daily exceeds 2,000 around the world, and that the total material losses this year amounted to USD 4.2 billion.
He referred to a number of documented cyberattacks around the world, through which cybercriminals were able to paralyze the movement of fuel and energy pipelines, in addition to attacks on a number of hospitals, indicating that these attacks caused severe damage in various fields and caused the loss of many lives.
On the best methods of personal protection from cyberattacks, the US expert advised not to use the same password in different accounts such as e-mail and social media, and to make it more difficult and complex by adding non-sequential numbers, for example, in addition to using the two-step verification technology provided by many digital services and programs in addition to Electronic devices are generally updated as soon as updates are issued. (end) yt.aa