Want to leave behind spam calls, texts and emails? In this post, Mike Hudson shares how OpSec could come to your rescue.
Do you ever go to bed at night and lie awake, wondering if you really did lock the front door? Eventually, you always get up and check, just to be sure. But do you ever check your information security in the same way? In this post, Cyber Security Manager at Arco, Mike Hudson explains why and how you can protect your data using OpSec.
What is OpSec?
“OpSec” or Operational Security, is the practice of protecting your sensitive information and activities from being observed or compromised by adversaries. It involves identifying, analysing, and protecting information that, if disclosed, could be used to harm the organisation or its operations. This can include information about personnel, facilities, equipment, procedures, and plans.
Why does OpSec matter?
Effective OpSec involves a systematic and ongoing process of identifying what information needs to be protected, determining how that information might be compromised, and implementing measures to protect it. This can include physical security measures, such as locks and barriers, as well as technological measures, such as encryption and secure communication channels. It can also involve measures to protect against human error or insider threats, such as providing training and establishing clear policies and procedures.
No matter what you’re signing up for these days, they always seem to want endless amounts of personal information. More often than not, even entering a phone number is a registration requirement.
Rarely is this an issue, until the site is breached. If this results in data leaks it can result in a lifetime of junk texts, smishing, vishing and spammy calls.
So, what can you do?
Of course, you could change your phone number or apply spam filters, but neither option is very straight forward. I’m a big believer in root cause analysis. So I would go straight to the core of the problem and mitigate it before it even has a chance to manifest itself- that’s where OpSec comes in.
The clever team over at Anonyome Labs have developed an application called MySudo. It allows you to generate ‘sudo profiles’ made up of emails and phone numbers. This allows you to swap out your personal details for these pseudo profiles, so you can protect your privacy.
Check out this brief video for further information: https://youtu.be/zhUw_akayE0
As the video says, the app acts as a self-contained platform for interacting with these aliases. It allows you to dial out, text or email securely (with encryption), whilst maintaining your privacy. The app even houses a secure browser, enabling a fingerprint free browsing experience.
I’ve amassed a total of 3 ‘sudo profiles’, which I use for different things. I have one that I use when mobile numbers are required for registration. Once that number starts getting spam, I simply cycle out the number for a new one and start again. The beauty of swapping out the number but retaining the previous messages means I have a record of where the number was used, and anywhere I may need to update with a new one.
I also use a separate profile for social media, so neither the email nor the phone number are “real”. This makes connecting with people via platforms such as WhatsApp much lower risk, as again, it’s not my ‘private’ number.
As a result, I NEVER get anything other than legitimate contact on my personal number. As the only people who know it are family members.
There is, however, one caveat! Some platforms don’t seem to work well with sending the initial verification code to a pseudo number and this means having to use your real number. But as soon as I’m logged in I can swap out the real number with a sudo number, resting easy in the knowledge that my real number can never be leaked!
You can download MySudo from the Apple AppStore or the Google Play Storefree of charge. From there, there’s a choice of plans you can subscribe to, depending on what you’re trying to achieve.
Don’t forget to lock your door
When it comes to protecting your data, OpSec is essential and with apps like MySudo, it’s never been easier. Leave spam messages behind and try following our OpSec tips today.
Written by: Mike Hudson