WEST FARGO – With cybersecurity threats ever increasing, this issue has become the defining issue of our time.

That’s the view of Rob Spiger, director of cybersecurity policy at Microsoft, who told the audience at the Midwest Technology Summit 2024 held here on Thursday, Aug. 15, that despite the threat posed by hackers, there is still reason for hope.

Spiger said the amount of dollars stolen by cybercriminals is staggering, adding that the transfer of all that wealth represents the world’s third-largest economy.

David Olson / The Forum.

Online criminals are increasingly working together to harm individuals, organizations and governments. Spiger says potential victims must also work together to counter the threat.

He said that means, for example, being transparent about attacks so that others can be warned and efforts can be made to understand the nature of the threat and how it works.

“Share information about incidents that happen,” Spiger said, adding that the perpetrators are no longer individuals but part of an “entire ecosystem” whose goal is to thwart the latest efforts to protect digital information.

Spiger said that hackers are primarily gaining access to databases in companies and organizations through “phishing,” which involves targeting individuals with emails that can release malware.

He said there are many things individuals and organizations can do to improve their security, but Spiger pointed out that one simple and effective way is to switch to multi-factor authentication for logging into accounts, a process that requires users to enter more information than just a password.

Such a change would block 99 percent of all attacks, he said.

Spiger suggested that companies should consider sending their employees occasional phishing emails.

Company management can identify who is being cheated and talk to employees, Spiger added.

Following his presentation, Spiger moderated a panel of experts who gave tips on cybersecurity.

One member of the panel, Ryan Cloutier, a self-professed hacker who works as a cybersecurity consultant, echoed Spiger’s sentiment, saying it could be helpful for organizations to experience in a controlled manner what happens if, for example, a server hijacking occurs.

“The demonstrations really make things clear,” said Cloutier.

Spiger said improving digital security has become one of Microsoft’s top priorities. He said executive salaries are tied to security performance.

“It (security awareness) permeates the entire company. This is a big change at Microsoft,” Spiger said.