A cyber-secure July 4th

Opinion: July 3, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By Tom Ridge

McClatchy-Tribune

As Independence Day approaches, we are reminded of the courage and strength of the Minute Men, citizens who were willing to take up arms, on a minute’s notice, to defend their home and their families — a small band of volunteers that stood tall in the face of tyranny to protect the basic ideals of freedom and opportunity for all.

Today, Americans still fight to protect these ideals. However in the minds of most Americans, the battles we fight today are either in faraway lands or are in response to acts of terrorism at single points in time. In fact, most Americans feel relatively disengaged from the battles that are waged around the world. Despite the events of 9/11, many of us have a quiet confidence that we will never personally come face to face with our enemies or be the victim of terrorism. While on some level that may be true, we are wrong to assume we are not personally vulnerable and responsible for our own security, and specifically our personal cyber security.

The cyber threats we as Americans face today are complicated and complex. The geographic borders that once served to protect us do not exist in the digital world. Most of our citizens do not comprehend the fact that the geographic barriers that once gave us a personal sanctuary are no longer the primary source of protection. Those that wish to do us harm — whether as nations or cyber criminals — can digitally “invade” via the Internet. And many experts believe our next major attack could occur on the cyber battlefield.

Last summer, as most of us enjoyed our Fourth of July weekend, major systems within our government were attacked by a foreign threat. While we watched fireworks and celebrated our freedom, the other side of the world committed one of the most sophisticated, far reaching and brazen assaults on the U.S. cyber infrastructure. While the systems at the Pentagon and White House managed the attacks reasonably well, the systems at the Departments of Treasury and the Federal Trade Commission were brought to a complete standstill for days.

For most Americans, this cyber attack went largely unnoticed as events of this nature often do. Cyber warfare is not a fantasy and the impact of a well-executed assault could affect the lives of millions of Americans.

STEPS FOR YOU TO STAY SAFE

Unfortunately, most Americans don’t understand the simple role they can play to help strengthen their digital security.

Certainly, our government must continue with their sophisticated and collaborative efforts to secure cyber space. But at the same time, U.S. citizens must assume some level of personal responsibility for their home computer networks.

Let us take a lesson from the Minute Men, and rise to form an army of citizens committed to cyber security. Here’s how you can do your part:

This Fourth of July, when you log on to check the scores of your favorite sports team and scan the news, take an extra minute to make sure that your computer is secure.

Check to make sure that you have anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software. There are lots of options out there, and some very good ones that are free.

Make sure your software is up to date and working properly.

Reset your passwords regularly.

Commit to a schedule where you routinely evaluate the security of your digital equipment — your computers and all mobile devices.

These are simple steps and by taking those few extra minutes, you are doing your part to keep your personal information, your family and ultimately, your nation more secure.

Tom Ridge is president and CEO of Ridge Global, Washington D.C.. He was the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Before that, he was governor of Pennsylvania and a U.S. representative for Mercer County. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.