Important Lessons from Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Now that Cybersecurity Awareness Month is over, it’s time to implement the lessons

This year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month has an overarching theme - “‘See Yourself in Cyber” - it demonstrates that while cybersecurity may seem like a complex subject, ultimately, it’s really all about people. CISA shares this toolkit to help you and your organization be vigilant when navigating the digital landscape year round.

It starts with you

When it comes to protecting your privacy online, implementing best practices is an important place to start, but there’s still a good chance some of your information can end up in the wrong hands. Implementing a dark web scan can help ensure that you are being notified if and when your information has been posted on the dark web.

Most importantly, use strong passwords wherever you can. Password manager systems will help you remember longer passwords, check on compromised ones, and even encrypt them for you. Also, definitely don’t use these top compromised passwords of 2022.

Breaches remain a major problem

The threats from malware and ransomware remain high and unlikely to reduce. As long as the threats remain as such, so should your breach preparedness. According to IBM’s cost of a data breach report, the average cost of a breach has averaged at 4.35 million in 2022, enforcing that having a breach response plan is crucial to mitigate costs and reputational damage. It is not a question of if, but when, an organization will experience a data breach. The IBM survey found 83% of organizations had one or more data breaches with only 17% saying that the breach in 2022 was their first.

Phishing attacks continue to grow

Verizon’s 2022 Data Breach Investigation Report indicated that 35% of ransomware incidents involved the use of email. This is a growing concern as phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated, with new forms, such as the use of “sock puppets” continuing to emerge. The main reason behind the growth of phishing attacks is that they have remained effective for hackers. Training employees on identifying phishing attacks and developing plans on how to deal with them can go a long way in protecting employee data privacy and mitigating organizational risks.

Forward-thinking organizations are transitioning from reactive to proactive

“Most data thieves are professional criminals deliberately trying to steal information that they can turn into cash.” according to the 2022 Verizon DBIR. The report confirms that data compromises are “considerably more likely to result from external attacks than from any other source.” In fact, three out of four cases point to outside the victim’s organization.

Traditional security protections have a role in a holistic cybersecurity program, but they aren’t enough. External Cybersecurity should be your organization’s first line of defense, which exposes and disrupts attackers before they can cause significant damage. It allows you to look beyond the perimeter; keep your eyes on the horizon and protect your organization, your employees, and your customers sooner. To help prepare your company for today’s dynamic cyber threat landscape, partner with a best-in-class solution that can provide your organization with multiple levels of risk mitigation for data breach.

Being proactive can minimize risks, but it can also reduce stress and anxiety — and increase flexibility and have positive outcomes.