During a campaign rally in Tucson, Arizona, on Monday, President Trump stated that “nobody gets hacked.” This assertion is demonstrably false, as anyone regularly involved in security matters would recognize.

“Nobody gets hacked. To be hacked, you require an individual with an IQ of 197, and even then, they need approximately 15 percent of your password,” Trump explained, referencing the recent suspension of C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully. Scully admitted to falsely claiming his Twitter account had been compromised after sending a message to former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.

https://twitter.com/mshelton/status/1318303047647309824

Several points require consideration within those few words. Beyond the gender bias inherent in assuming hackers are exclusively male, and setting aside the contradictory nature of the two sentences, Trump also failed to acknowledge that his own hotel chain experienced two separate data breaches—one spanning a period of over a year between 2014 and 2015, and another between 2016 and 2017.

These breaches were legally reported to state regulators, as required by law.

In both instances, customers of Trump’s hotels had their credit card information stolen. The latter breach was attributed to a third-party booking system, Sabre, which also resulted in the exposure of guest names, email addresses, phone numbers, and other personal data.

The exact number of individuals affected by these incidents was not disclosed. However, it was certainly not “nobody.”

A representative for the Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

It is easy to dismiss such a statement as inconsequential, but claiming that “nobody gets hacked” is a potentially harmful oversimplification. It is comparable to declaring something “unhackable” or “hack-proof.” Cybersecurity professionals will confirm that no individual or organization can guarantee absolute security.

Complete security is unattainable. However, such a claim can discourage individuals from taking necessary precautions to protect themselves. Utilizing a password manager and enabling two-factor authentication are essential steps. Practicing basic security measures is crucial, as hackers do not require an exceptionally high IQ to gain access to accounts; they simply need individuals to be less vigilant.

Trump’s claim that “nobody gets hacked” also raises questions about the fate of the “400-pound hacker” he referenced during his initial presidential campaign.

https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/26/cybersecurity-101-security-guides-protect-privacy/