Kanye West’s Lesson In Cybersecurity

The hip-hop artist Kanye West recently had a highly-publicized visit with his soul mate Donald Trump. West delivered a ten minute stream of consciousness monologue about, among other things, prison reform, alternative universes, his and Trump’s mutual admiration for North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un and the significance of the number 13, but what caught the attention of cybersecurity expert Stan Sundel was the teachable moment when camera crews caught West unlocking his iPhone: Password “000000.” Sundel calls West “a walking cautionary tale” of cybersecurity worst practices, and lists several things senior executives can learn from his shortcomings. Strong passwords are the least of it. Beware of shoulder surfers, he says. Prying eyes pose a genuine security threat that has grown since employees began routinely using portable devices to do work outside the office. As for West’s social media habits, Sundel warns that posting an outlandish comment is not the only thing that can get you into trouble. Threat actors can gather all sorts of sensitive personal information from your online profiles that can be leveraged to conduct a cyber attack. When in doubt, clam up, he suggests. You won’t get an audience with the President, but you won’t be extorted either.