River's Rants and Reflections

Cybercrime – It's all around us!

Day 1367 August 12, 2016

Title Prompt: The Cyber- Thoughts

Cybercrime – It's all around us!

The internet is a wonderful tool, but as cyberspace is constantly evolving, so too are the cyber threats to our security, prosperity, and quality of life.
Cybercrime is a criminal offence involving a computer as the object of the crime (hacking, phishing, spamming), or (child pornography, hate crimes, computer fraud). There are a lot of creeps in Cyberland ready to prey on the innocent or uninformed.
In Canada, all our government departments (including the Department of Justice, the RCMP, Public Safety Canada, and Global Affairs Canada) work together to protect Canadians from the threat of cybercrime. Partnerships have also been developed between International, Federal, and Provincial law enforcement agencies. One example of this type of coordination is the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, a joint effort of the RCMP, OPP, and the Competition Bureau of Canada to combat internet and mass-marketing fraud.
We can't depend on the government alone to protect us. We need to educate ourselves, take precautions and use our common sense. Don't be too trusting, be careful what you click on. If you see an offer that seems too good to be true then it probably is. Change your passwords often, encrypt your files, and encourage your children to use the internet safely.

The Olympics
I'm not a huge sports fan but when the Olympics roll around with all their magic I find myself glued to the TV. I watched proudly last night as 16-year-old Penny Oleksiak won a gold medal for Canada in women's 100m freestyle swimming. The look of joy on her face when she looked up at the scoreboard and realized she had won gold was awesome. The Canadian girls have been doing a great job in the pool this year. They're good role models and I hope they inspire younger girls to follow in their footsteps.
I'm cheering for Canada of course but I admire the men and women from all participating nations. I can only imagine the time they devote to training for their sport. I catch myself holding my breath as they approach the finish line and share in their victories and defeats. I cringe when they're injured and send up a prayer for healing.

Whoa! I took a long nap. Look at the time! If I don't post this now, it'll be time to write tomorrow's Blog Entry y.

That's it for today.
River