![]() ![]() Just like the hacking industry, which has flourished since COVID took off, capitalizing on current social dynamics such as remote working, social distancing, anxiety, and fear. It is a game perfectly suited to the current environment. This is a game uniquely appropriate for the circumstances in which we all find ourselves: it is both a suspenseful and engrossing form of escapism and an eerie metaphor for the events that have characterized 2020 so far (as this article in Vice so eloquently explains). No quick reset and restart option here.Īmong Us has become a runaway success since the pandemic began. Unlike in the game, however, a cybersecurity breach takes weeks, months, or even years to recover from. This unplanned interruption, and ensuing pandemonium, wreaks havoc on the crew’s productivity and is easy to compare to the impact of a cyberattack on an entire company. The discovery of an attack means players must stop mid-task and head to the meeting room. The current political, economic, and health uncertainties mean security professionals must stay on high alert (as we discuss in this webinar on protecting remote workers).Īttacks derail players from getting work doneīetween attacks, crewmates are engaged in a variety of tasks, which they must finish in order to win the game. Chaos is also the perfect breeding ground for cybersecurity attacks: when users are distracted or confused they are far more likely to fall for a phishing ruse. Amid those frenzied discussions, chaos is the impostor’s ally and best chance at pinning the blame on an innocent crew mate who, say, fails to remember exactly which tasks they were performing in the reactor room three minutes ago. Then, players congregate to loudly debate the evidence and make accusations about who the imposter could be. A meeting is only called when a player finds a victim. As security professionals, it is our constant refrain to users: you must not assume that the sender of the email is who they say they are you must always be alert to suspicious communications.įor much of the time in the game, players are alone and not permitted to speak with one another. The victims never discover the impostor’s true identity until it’s too late. Just like a hacker launching a phishing attack, the imposter entreats others to take actions that seem innocent but only further their nefarious cause. In order to lure victims into situations where they can strike, the impostor fakes tasks and pretends to be earnestly engaged in the crew’s mission. The attacker, of course, is known as the impostor and they must fool other players into believing they are one of them. As the perimeter all but disappears amid the shift to remote work, the only option is to adopt a security posture that assumes nothing and authenticates everything.Īmong Us hinges on pretence. Whether they’re coming from outside the network or are already inside, they must be considered equally untrustworthy until proven otherwise. Assume everyone attempting to access your apps or services cannot be trusted until you have authenticated them. That, of course, is the very premise of Zero Trust security. Players quickly learn to trust no one, that anyone could be a threat. The whole point of Among Us is that the attacker is, well, among us-hiding in plain sight. Whatever the case, a comparison of the two serves as a useful reminder of the fundamentals of today’s cyberthreat landscape. Better yet, maybe you’ve actually played the game yourself. Maybe you’ve heard Among Us mentioned among colleagues, or perhaps you have kids at home who will be obsessively playing the game during holiday break. The very conditions that have contributed to Among Us ’s breakout success in the pandemic are the same ones that have sent cyber attack numbers soaring. While most security professionals don’t spend their days on a spaceship evading murderous imposters, there are more similarities between their day-to-day activities and the game than you might think. Players are crew mates on a spaceship (or a similar fictional venue) and must determine which fellow crewmate among them is a hidden imposter-before they all become victims. But, I could equally have been describing a day in the life of a security professional.įor the uninitiated, Among Us is a game of suspense and betrayal. Of course, I’m describing a scene from the wildly popular game Among Us. There’s been an attack! Time to head to the meeting room for the usual finger-pointing and scapegoating before the team decides who to jettison from the ship. But right before you can complete the upload, a klaxon blares. ![]() One more data upload and then you’re out of here. You’re making good progress on this task. ![]()
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