Massive Facebook, Instagram / internet outage

Bill Masen - October 4, 2021

News

Its global  FB and many other mass user sites have been down since 5PM GMT, nearly 5 hours out of action.

4  

I’ve been though a security incident with a large software provider in real time and this seems like what this is.  There’s enough redundancy in servers, hardware, etc. that any one (or even several) areas being down will cause solutions to route to another existing one, in another zone or area easily and quickly.  To be fully down on everything seems an *intentional decision* possibly indicating that the event is ongoing.  Just my two cents, I hope I’m wrong.   My advice is the same if I am wrong, or right.

It’s an evolving world and cybercrime is no longer the exotic “techy” thing that it was even a few years ago.  Cybercriminals and cyber terrorists will spend effort to go where the money and data (they are interchangeable now).  Stage coaches were once robbed by highway men, they aren’t really anymore.  For most of us, we should assume that our electronic records of some kindwill be the subject of a successful hack.  If we’re lucky, we’ll find out about it.  “Technology is neither good nor bad but neither is it neutral”*. It’s a tool and criminals use it as well as we can.

I’ve spent my entire 25+ years career in this industry, not trying to be negative but the landscape isn’t great and law enforcement (G_d bless’em for the work they do) is understaffed and overwhelmed.  Politicians can’t act as fast as technology advances. 

From a “what can this teach us, what can we learn” angle: assume your details will be compromised.  Do what you can to protect yourself

* Backup any data that you cannot lose to as secure a recommended location as you can afford. The Prepared’s blog on this is superb.  Convince your relatives as well – for many of us, our details are on their devices as well as ours. 

* Check your credit card and other accounts regularly for odd behavior.  Report it as soon as you see it.

* Multi-factor logins where ever and when ever possible

* Credit and privacy monitoring services can be helpful.

* Think twice, thrice before clicking on any links.  If an email or offer sounds too good OR too dramatic to be true, it probably is.

*  Like any technology, it can misused but also unreliable.  Talk with those in your sphere, ask them what happens if the internet goes down or is compromised..what do we do as an alternate?  What if THAT alternate goes down…what do we use..and so on down the line.  

* Kranzberg

 

What are some ways that this can relate to preparedness? 

The Facebook owned messaging service Whatsapp is also down with this outage. it’s important to have backup forms of communication for when our favorite services are having problems.

In The Prepared’s Digital security and privacy 101 guide, one of the recommendations for encrypted messaging is Signal.

 

EXACTLY, Reliance on the Internet as a sole means of comms or intel gathering is pure folly.   If you have established relationships with other groups or preppers you must have an alternatives comms system.  Ham Radio, Text, E Mail groups ( my fav)  Phone numbers, pre agreed rendezvous locations / dates times etc.

 

I’ve been though a security incident with a large software provider in real time and this seems like what this is.  There’s enough redundancy in servers, hardware, etc. that any one (or even several) areas being down will cause solutions to route to another existing one, in another zone or area easily and quickly.  To be fully down on everything seems an *intentional decision* possibly indicating that the event is ongoing.  Just my two cents, I hope I’m wrong.   My advice is the same if I am wrong, or right.

It’s an evolving world and cybercrime is no longer the exotic “techy” thing that it was even a few years ago.  Cybercriminals and cyber terrorists will spend effort to go where the money and data (they are interchangeable now).  Stage coaches were once robbed by highway men, they aren’t really anymore.  For most of us, we should assume that our electronic records of some kindwill be the subject of a successful hack.  If we’re lucky, we’ll find out about it.  “Technology is neither good nor bad but neither is it neutral”*. It’s a tool and criminals use it as well as we can.

I’ve spent my entire 25+ years career in this industry, not trying to be negative but the landscape isn’t great and law enforcement (G_d bless’em for the work they do) is understaffed and overwhelmed.  Politicians can’t act as fast as technology advances. 

From a “what can this teach us, what can we learn” angle: assume your details will be compromised.  Do what you can to protect yourself

* Backup any data that you cannot lose to as secure a recommended location as you can afford. The Prepared’s blog on this is superb.  Convince your relatives as well – for many of us, our details are on their devices as well as ours. 

* Check your credit card and other accounts regularly for odd behavior.  Report it as soon as you see it.

* Multi-factor logins where ever and when ever possible

* Credit and privacy monitoring services can be helpful.

* Think twice, thrice before clicking on any links.  If an email or offer sounds too good OR too dramatic to be true, it probably is.

*  Like any technology, it can misused but also unreliable.  Talk with those in your sphere, ask them what happens if the internet goes down or is compromised..what do we do as an alternate?  What if THAT alternate goes down…what do we use..and so on down the line.  

* Kranzberg