In response to the growth of cyberattacks and numerous fraud schemes, which even politicians and show business stars are becoming victims of, the Russian cybersecurity market has begun to offer a new service. Now in Russia, you can hire a cyber guardian — a specialist in individual protection against cyberattacks for a VIP. Such specialists have long existed in the USA, China, and South Korea, and their services are used by politicians, public figures, businessmen, stars, and artists.
According to Kommersant, ordinary citizens can also order cyber guardian support from companies in Russia or request this service from individual specialists: the minimum fee for this work starts from $50 or 10,000 rubles per month. However, this is on the condition that the specialist is hired on a part-time basis. A cyber guardian's monthly income can reach 200-300 thousand rubles if they work for a company or a large client on a full-time basis. If we are talking about a VIP, the earnings will be even higher.
Simple and relatively inexpensive services include setting up social media accounts, monitoring correspondence, and providing recommendations to the client or client company on communication on the Web. More expensive is training in cyber-hygienic use of computers, laptops, and tablets without data leaks, and selecting new equipment that is as resistant to data leaks as possible. A cyber guardian will also help sort out suspicious emails and SMS messages, determine the reliability of websites, check suspicious files and databases leaked into the public domain, and protect against attacks over the Web and via Wi-Fi, and protect accounts from hacking.
In the case when the client is large and expensive, the cyber guardian's strategy is built individually, and he becomes a trusted person of the VIP, like a doctor, cook, or trainer. But in any case, cyber guardians work around the clock, promptly responding to threats and incidents.
One of the organizations providing such services is the "Ural Center for Security Systems" (UCSS). As Yulia Sonina, a senior analyst at the company, told Kommersant, in world practice, for example, the Kardashian family and Beyonce use the services of cyber guardians, and "in the West it is much easier to find a company that is ready to provide such services, it is similar to hiring a lawyer." In Russia, in addition to UCSS, this service is provided, for example, by the operator Rostelecom and the consulting company RTM Group, according to her.
Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts advise against treating cyber guardian services as a solution to all problems. In particular, according to Sergey Zolotukhin, a cybersecurity consultant at F.A.C.C.T., a mediator when working with the digital environment creates an illusion of security for the user of the Web and gadgets. But exclusively setting up the security of social media accounts, laptops, and smartphones will not protect the customer.
The issue of security is a whole complex of actions, rules, and tools. You need not just safe phone settings, but also an understanding of the nature of the risks of the digital environment, the landscape of personal threats.
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