Cybersecurity is an important aspect of today’s world. As society relies more and more on the internet for everyday tasks, hackers will inevitably try to obtain information through unethical means. Even the US State Department is not safe from these attacks. In 2021, the government branch suffered from a “serious breach” which means that sensitive and private information may have been compromised.
An unlikely place you can look to for tips on how to upgrade your cybersecurity system is poker it has a lot of information and principles to offer. It is a game of intelligence and strategy that can prove useful even in the workplace. Here are a few concepts poker has to offer in terms of cybersecurity:
Identifying a hacker’s bluff
Our past article on the Most Common Ways Hackers Attack Businesses explains that phishing and smishing happen often in offices. This is when employees are sent emails with a link attached that contains malware. Once it is clicked, hackers can gain full access to all documents and information stored in a computer or system. Smishing on the other hand happens when information is given through a text or call, which will then help hackers access a worker’s personal accounts.
In poker, the difference between winning and losing can rest in a player’s ability to tell whether their opponent is bluffing or not. In this sense, employees should be trained to tell if the messages and calls they receive have malicious intent. Doing so can help prevent breaches from happening and will give workers a proper understanding of the different red flags they should be aware of.
Improving incidence response
Just as in poker, cybersecurity requires cyber experts to make quick decisions and constantly improve how they respond to incidences. Tarah Wheeler, a cybersecurity expert and best-selling author, talked about the incidence response lessons she learned from poker. She outlined how like poker players, cybersecurity experts need to have confidence in their decisions as they will have to make tough calls. She compared it to knowing when to fold in poker. By constantly making these tough calls, cybersecurity experts will start to fine-tune their decision making. Wheeler is an avid poker player and has won over $3,500 in lifetime cash at the World Series Of Poker (WSOP). Today, she is an active member of the online cybersecurity community.
Assessing risks properly
One of the main principles of poker is being able to assess risks and use statistics. Cybersecurity should not be any different. Being able to assess the blind spots in your system and what portions of it are vulnerable to attacks will help you strengthen your overall defense.
CNBC explains that having safety standards in place will go a long way when it comes to preventing a breach from happening. You should make it a point to always update your system to ensure that there is no lingering malware and that all firewalls are intact. You should also identify where hackers can possibly attack your organization and address the issue, whether it be from weak security or human error. Make sure that when assessing your cybersecurity, you understand what the risks are and where you can improve.
Poker may not be everyone’s go-to when it comes to learning about cybersecurity, but the game has a lot to offer in terms of being able to properly understand risks. These are just a few principles from the game that every business should follow when it comes to creating a safer and more secure cyberspace for their company.
