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PAD 713- Prof. Adam Wandt
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Digital Kung Fu Lecture- Synopsis & Review
On June 30th 2015, a lecture by John Jay College Professors Adam Wandt and
Chelsea Binns was offered to the college community. The lecture concerned the
various methods in which public sector employees - particularly law enforcement can protect their digital footprints. Daily, we hear from the media about new data
breaches, security lapses, and data dumps of personal information originating from
a varity of sources. The lecture was aimed at the basics surrounding how breaches
occur, followed by potential remedies public employees can take to protect
themselves and, by extension, their families and loved ones.
Professor Binns began the lecture by discussing the vulnerability of law
enforcement personnel as far as digital security is concerned. As such, the
foundation for what the lecture would cover was laid. While the federal government
orders sanctions on known criminals, the Professor stated, significant threats
continue to exist. Ultimately, countermeasures by authorities are largely reactive
and, accordingly, there is no fool-proof method of protection.
Several examples of high-profile cases were provided to those in attendance,
such as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data breach. This resulted in the
personal information of millions of Americans having been compromised. This is a
prime example of how arguably the most powerful government on earth could not
keep sensitive information secure, showing the world exactly how difficult digital
security can be. Further, the topic of abandoned data was discussed. This
references data that may no longer be useful or relevant, but is still accessible or
In addition, it was
suggested that privacy screen or covers be utilized, in order to shield ones device
from prying eyes that may be in the vicinity.
Going further, Professor Wandt offered several, simple tips for those public
employees who may be seeking to do more in order to protect their data. Such tips
included routine backup of data and setting password-change reminders to combat
complacency. The risks poses by enabling iTunes Sharing was also described in
detail, with an example showing how a subjects personal voice memos - including
video clips of his children - were easily accessible as a result of his sharing
preferences. Professor Wandt concluded the lecture with a comparison between
Fishing and Spearfishing. The former casts a wide net in an effort to fool
someone into disclosing personal information, whereas the latter is a more targeted,
direct approach effort geared toward one particular individual, group, etc. to obtain
secure data.
In sum, the lecture on Digital Kung Fu served its purpose by providing a
crash course on data security for public employees. Given the frequency at which
breaches occur, the information garnered from Professors Wandt & Binns, if put into
effect, are certain to mitigate a multitude of digital risks posed by the unscrupulous.
However, as made clear by the lecture, no solution is infallible.