TECH

Most connected and vulnerable, alert expert and hacking teacher

The specialist told Lusa that cybersecurity is today one of the fundamental issues for companies and governments, but also for ordinary citizens. Computer security, it said, cost $ 114 billion this year, a figure that is expected to climb to 124 billion next year.David Brumley is an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a winning institution for major hacking competitions, deep experts on computer vulnerabilities and computer networks, and with many of the students he graduated from working at the NSA, National Security, known for the intensive use of electronic surveillance and surveillance systems.Today, at the invitation of the United States Embassy in Portugal, the official gives a series of conferences on cybersecurity at universities in Lisbon, Coimbra, Aveiro, Porto and Braga."Nowadays, there are more and more devices connected to the Internet, and especially when we look at the increase in the Internet of things (all devices capable of being permanently connected), we see that we have every part of our lives connected to the Internet. connected, but also carries many risks, "he warned.
And yet, he added to Lusa, in general terms no one thinks about it when using a mobile phone or when entering the social network Facebook. "We do not think much about the amount of information we put on Facebook, we do not think anyone can enter our computer and use our personal information, steal our credit cards, people do not think about it until they happen."For all this security is fundamental, but also the experts are fundamental. Asked by Lusa, David Brumley explained that he does not agree with the association that is often made of so-called 'hackers' to crime. Because, he said, a 'hacker' could be a computer expert and his security."I always distinguish a hacker from a criminal. There are 'hackers' who leave the universities and who understand computers deeply, and confusing a hacker with a criminal is not correct," he said.At the university where he teaches, students are taught what they call "etical hacking", consisting of showing how to break a security system, because knowing how to do it will also know how to defend it."It's like a police officer learning the tactics of the criminals so they can defend themselves. Computer security professionals have to know the same thing," he said.Therefore, he pointed out, the profession of 'hacker' is already important today and will be even more so in the future. And to illustrate this importance David Brumley cites numbers: new jobs grew in the United States 8% but in the area of ​​computer security the increase was 18%.
Added to this growth is another number, the salary, which is higher in the area of cybersecurity, and can even reach 250 thousand dollars per year (217 thousand euros).
"There is great demand and wages are high because there are not enough professionals to fill the seats," he said.

Contrary to what happened 15 years ago, the expert said, there is a growing increase in the needs of cybersecurity professionals, from companies to industries and governments. But not only. Cyber security, according to Brumley, is for businesses as well as for Google who creates a product whose design wants to protect or for the mother who buys a camera to watch over your baby.

Lusa