EDITOR'S NOTE: This week's Indiana Cyber Hub blog is a two-part series in celebration of National Intern Day and Indiana Intern Day. Part One of the series was posted on July 25th.

In today's blog, we continue our conversation with Libby Stroud, who is completing an internship this summer with the State of Indiana and is working as a Communications Specialist with the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity (IECC).

Libby, what have you learned about cybersecurity?

I have learned just how many different vulnerabilities cyber can leave us with and how cyber criminals are able to take advantage of that to exploit unsuspecting people in so many ways. Bad actors are constantly looking for their next attack, and they don’t discriminate when it comes to choosing their victims. I used to think that cyber criminals’ main targets were large corporations. Now, I’ve learned that cyber scammers will target whoever they can get to, and small businesses are especially vulnerable. Cyberattacks are far more common than I realized before this internship. Cyber criminals are nothing if not talented when it comes to scamming for money and personal information; they can target any organization, any industry, and any person. Cybercrime exists in many different forms and costs people billions of dollars each year. I have learned a lot about cybersecurity this summer for everything from how hackers target people and exploit their vulnerabilities and how cyberattacks can be countered to how people can protect themselves against cybercrime, and the different abilities of cyber, just to name a few. That said, the cyber world is constantly evolving and there is always more to learn!

As someone who's grown up, you might say, with the Internet and digital technology, what would you say you've learned about cyber as part of your everyday life?

Cyber as part of your everyday life is a tool that can be used to simplify and complicate your life in more ways than I had ever considered. I thought that cybersecurity was something that only corporations (big or small) had to worry about, I didn’t think that it necessarily applied to ‘normal’ people for everyday protection.

Every day, cyber criminals are working to scam people out of their money and sensitive information. They are constantly scam calling, sending phishing emails, gaining access to people’s personal accounts, etc. While those are the negative everyday uses of cyber, it can also be used for personal protection! Cyber can be used to keep all categories of data including personally identifiable information and intellectual property more secure. There are so many ways that cyber can be used in everyday life to protect personal data such as keeping your software updated on all devices, being careful about what links you click on, and downloading anti-virus software for everyday protection. Cyber, whether we like it or not, is an essential part of everyday life that can keep you protected against cyber criminals and can be a huge convenience in your life if you are vigilant and use it responsibly.

What's the most interesting experience or something you've learned about cyber working with the State of Indiana?

Interning for the State of Indiana has provided me with a lot of interesting opportunities that have added to my professional growth during my time here at the Indiana Office of Technology (IOT). I have gotten to attend cybersecurity summits, sit in on meetings for various committees involved with the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity (IECC), and have been introduced to many impressive people in the communications space, cybersecurity field, and members of government.

I have gotten to attend workshops that the Governor’s summer interns have access to that help support my professional development, as well as meet the Governor and Lieutenant Governor that had interesting topics to share during their discussions. I have gotten to meet the executives at IOT and hear about their views on cybersecurity and how they found themselves in the professional positions that they are in now, with their advice for “surviving” the cyber world. I have gotten the opportunity, too, to meet many different people that are involved in the cyber world in a multitude of capacities, and they have given me a more nuanced idea of how cybersecurity progresses both the state and the professionals that reside in it.

It has been so interesting getting a look into many professions and professionals involved in cybersecurity that I had not been exposed to prior to participating in this internship.