Consider this recent headline from The Epoch Times: Hackers Stole Nearly 26 Million User Login Credentials For Sites Like Amazon, Google, Facebook. The article details that the thefts went on for two years. Folks, this is cyber warfare and we are in the thick of it right now.

I highly recommend the 1985 military science fiction novel Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. It is a gripping tale of imperiled humankind on Earth preparing for the third invasion by aliens. There are many parallels to today’s cyber warfare, the most obvious being that we don’t know everything there is to know about our assailants. My IT management company, Aptica, has already faced many situations that made me think of  Ender’s Game. After just 35 short years, I and all MSP companies (Managed Service Providers) are living a science-fiction scenario. The depth and complexity of data networks and internet connections have certainly opened doors for expanded business opportunities. At the same time, it has created opportunities for those who steal for a living.

Painful, painful truth. We try to anticipate data attacks, but we learn how to defend against them only after one has been successful somewhere. It is whack-a-mole on a global scale. We scramble to invent intangibles that can prevent intangibles when it comes to information breaches. First, there is a steal. Next, we figure out how it was done. Then we put barriers in place. In the time it takes us to do that, there is another way found to get inside proprietary data caches. The revelation of the 26 million user credentials steal confirms (again) that no one is safe, no one is immune. Rich or not, corporate or small—your information can become a weapon to be used against you.

It is a struggle people have had for centuries. Our first task is to make it harder for the enemy to penetrate your defenses. We do this with firewalls for computers. We also do this with tactics like 2-Factor Authentication and password management apps. We do this by training employees to recognize potential threats in the everyday use of their devices. But maybe it is best if you think of cyber protection as an ongoing sword fight. There are daily thrusts and daily parries. There are lunges and hops. One side advances, and the other retreats; it’s a constant back-and-forth. Picture it with lightsabers if that brings up the hand-to-hand image for you. While you, yourself, may not be spending the energy on this, I hope the MSP for your business is performing at this level to protect your business.

We all saw how far-reaching the Colonial Oil breach became. Gas prices went up. Gas stations ran out of fuel. Alternate transportation saw a spike. People got stranded. These are the ways our enemies can use our stolen data to disrupt our economy and our way of life. If you have been waiting until something catastrophic happens to you or your family or your business before you feel motivated to join the fight—rethink that position.