New friends

Image from Unsplash

It was somewhat between a conference and a summer camp: there were lots of people and it was a bit chaotic. On my way from one presentation to the next workshop, I was harassed by a few teenagers; a small scuffle even broke out, during which I put them in their place.

As I continued on my way, I noticed that the boy who had been the most aggressive had slipped a note into my pocket. I wanted to read it only once I was out of their sight, but that was a big mistake. We will never know what message that boy wanted to convey. Because at that moment, the alarm clock went off. And no matter how hard I tried to pick up the thread again, it didn’t work.

Of course, you start fantasizing about the meaning of such a dream, and especially what would have been written on that note if it had been real. It was probably a cry for help, and the scuffle was only meant to get that note into my pocket. Maybe I’ve watched too many movies like that.

Anyway, let’s continue with the theme that someone needs help but apparently can’t ask for it openly. In my work, I don’t encounter that so directly – people with a security issue simply ask for advice; sometimes even when they suspect the expected answer will mean extra work or require them to abandon their current way of working. Fortunately, colleagues usually understand the importance of security measures.

Outside of my direct work, situations like that can certainly occur. Our organization has a huge impact on what you and I have in our wallets. But also on the profits of legal or illegal trade. And when it comes to money, crime is always lurking. That doesn’t always mean people spontaneously start doing criminal things. But because we manage an insane amount of data about everything and everyone, professional criminals sometimes set their sights on our employees.

Here’s a snippet from an NOS news report dated August 20: "An Amsterdam municipal official who is in custody on suspicion of corruption and complicity in explosions has sold data on a large scale to criminals, according to the Public Prosecution Service. Those criminals then carried out attacks or caused explosions at dozens of addresses he had provided."

It seems this official independently set up a little business selling addresses. However, often it works the other way around: people with access to certain data are approached by criminals. And that doesn’t always happen in a straightforward way. No, often they first try to become friends, and maybe at some point they help you with something. They’re looking for a weak spot in you, something you could really use help with. And you get that help from your new friend. A little while later, a small favor is asked. "Look at this, someone hit my car! Luckily, I just managed to note the license plate. The police are too busy to look into it, but for the insurance I really need to know who that jerk is. Hey, you have access to that kind of information, you’ll help me out, right?"

They’ll probably come back to you more often, and then you can’t get out of it. You’ve done something that you shouldn’t have, and now you’re stuck. You don’t want to pass on information anymore, but your new ‘friend’ won’t accept that. If you don’t help him anymore, your boss might find out what you’ve done…

That situation may seem hopeless, but help is always available. And luckily, you don’t have to appear in my dreams for that. There are various internal channels you can turn to. Look for information on subversive crime. Do something before it’s truly too late. And for the vast majority who are not affected by this: remember that you never know who will cross your path in the future.

And in the big bad world...

• AI is also very useful for cybercriminals.
• ENISA has received a budget for incident response.
• Hackers hacked the computer of a North Korean state hacker.
• An Austrian judge has condemned the 'Pay or Okay' principle as it violates the GDPR.
• Many Tesla owners unintentionally share data about their cars and trips.
• Is the claim that passkeys can be stolen incorrect.
• The Chinese are once again targeting us.
• There is still a browser available without AI.
• The recent data breach may affect all participants in the population screening. [DUTCH]