Bob's Bits & Bytes with Browser

Filling Your Tool Chest

Nevada May 25, 2018

I love tools. I do (very) amateur woodworking on the weekends, and have a bunch of hand tools that I like to use: planes, hand saws, chisels, spokeshaves, mallets, braces… I’m constantly searching eBay, flea markets and garage sales for old hunks of rusted iron that I can restore to working order. My wife accuses me of using woodworking as an excuse for getting more tools.

I can’t say she’s completely wrong.

We all need tools to do our jobs, and we need the right tools to do them well. Some tools need to be updated, adapted for new use. And all tools need to be maintained, or they fall into disrepair and become useless.

As I’ve mentioned before, the best security tool you’ve got is located between your ears. It’s a pretty amazing tool, really, endlessly adaptable, and perfectly suited to protect you from “social engineering,” the malicious emails and scam phone calls that can so quickly ruin our days.

To do this effectively, our brains need to be updated with regular security awareness training. This training sharpens our minds and prepares them for the task of protecting us, just as a diamond stone and leather strop sharpens a chisel. Most of you have already taken the awareness training currently available to State employees, and I’m the first to admit, it’s… not exactly “fascinating.” It covers the bases pretty well, but it’s dated, and hasn’t changed in quite a while.

That’s why I’m pleased to announce that over the coming weeks, we’ll be rolling out new security awareness training, from a company called KnowBe4. This video-based training is fully current, gets updated regularly, and covers a wide range of topics. It includes interactive games to reinforce the training, modules focused on things like ransomware and credit card security, demonstrations of hacker techniques, even colorful and informative posters.

This is old news for NDOT folks, who got on KnowBe4 a year or so ago. Props to their team for leading the way!

If you want to get a taste of the training, you can go to https://www.knowbe4.com/video-mitnick/.

We’re still getting all the pieces in place for this to go live, but it should start rolling out in the next few weeks. Look for an announcement from your designated Information Security Officer (ISO) when it’s available in your agency.

Oh, and if anyone has a lead on a decent pre-war Stanley #8 at a reasonable price, let me know.
Thanks,
Bob

Bob Dehnhardt | Chief Information Security Officer
State of Nevada | Department of Administration | Office of Information Security
100 N. Stewart St., Suite 100 | Carson City, NV 89701-4285
T: (775) 684-7322 | E: rwdehnhardt@admin.nv.gov

Contact

Mary Woods
Public Information Officer
(775) 684-0202