October is our favorite month at Computers Nationwide! Why? It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month! No one appreciates cybersecurity quite like our team of IT experts.
We eat, breathe, and sleep cyber security. Actually, we don’t sleep…but while our clients sleep soundly, we’re vigilantly monitoring your network for threats. All jokes aside, as the premier Managed Service Provider (MSP) of the Midwest, it’s our duty to keep businesses like yours protected around the clock with the best cyber defense available.
We provide cyber security news and tips throughout the year to help SMBs across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin stay informed on the latest threats and solutions. However, the annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month designation in October is a great reminder to evaluate your current cyber security infrastructure and find out if it’s time for an upgrade to more innovative solutions.
In it’s 18th year, the theme of 2021’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” The CISA and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) encourage individuals and organizations to own their role in protecting their part of cyberspace, stressing personal accountability and the importance of taking proactive steps to enhance cybersecurity.
Before we dive into the top cybersecurity blogs to read right now, take a look at these alarming stats from TechJury that further prove why cybersecurity can’t be ignored:
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It takes half a year to detect a data breach.
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43% of all cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses.
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91% of attacks launch with a phishing email.
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A business falls victim to a ransomware attack every 14 seconds.
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38% of malicious attachments are masked as one Microsoft Office type of file or another.
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Companies faced an average of 22 security breaches in 2020.
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The global cost of online crime is expected to reach $6 trillion by 2021.
Celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month with Computers Nationwide!
Find out everything your business needs to know with CN’s top 8 cyber security blogs of 2021…
Did you know that 95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error? Insider attacks remain the largest threats to organizations today. Of course, your employees are doing the best they can to be diligent and practice cyber safety – but they are human after all and we make mistakes! Computers Nationwide is here to help shed some light on common email threats that companies encounter and how your business can dodge cyber attacks.
We believe that training our clients about the best cybersecurity practices is no longer optional – it’s necessary! Not only is cyber security training a vital investment that will protect your business under “normal” circumstances, but ever since the pandemic moved workers into their homes with less cyber protection, hackers have pounced more aggressively than before. Implement extensive cybersecurity training ASAP!
Security challenges for IT professionals and organizations today are multitudinous. Every day we learn of an organization that became a victim to a cybersecurity breach or other malicious event, such as ransomware, essentially putting their business and their customers’ sensitive data at risk. Your infrastructure, networks and data should be protected. Most organizations strive to implement risk aversion measures and tactics.
As the pandemic hit, change came suddenly and unexpectedly. Employees were working at their desks, and one moment later, they were sharing network connections with their family at home. Mixing personal and corporate computer resources is never a best practice. Hence, as the next phase in this story begins, enterprises need to take a closer look at their remote systems and ensure that they are secure and functional.
The biggest threat to businesses today? Ransomware. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, a company was attacked every 11 seconds in 2020. The costs from these attacks will reach around $20 billion by 2021! In fact, Barracuda shared: “Ransomware attacks have become so prevalent and dangerous that they are now being treated as terrorist attacks.”
Trends that emerged in 2020, along with some new predictions, will have a huge impact on 2021 as these technologies continue to evolve and deploy even more quickly. Adoption of emerging tech will be even faster next year and securing data in these environments must finally move to the top of the priority list because more depends on security than ever before.
As the workplace has been brought into our homes, many SMB’s tend to overlook a critical component: the security of employee devices at home. Some businesses have a BYOD (bring your own device) policy, while others have chosen to supply their teams with designated “work only” technology. Threat protection for remote workers is vital!
Your best bet for a happier, more secure year is working your way through this resolution list and double-checking that you’re on solid ground. While there isn’t much that can be done to stop hackers from trying to steal your data, there’s a lot you can do to keep them from being successful at doing so and make sure you recover quickly.
More About Cybersecurity Awareness Month
A word from the FBI: “During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, observed each October, the FBI and its partner agencies remind you to do your part and #BeCyberSmart all year long. Now in its 18th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a government and private sector partnership that raises awareness about cybersecurity and stresses the collective effort required to stop cyber crimes, online thefts, and scams. As the premier cyber investigative agency, the FBI works to keep you safe online, but you should follow the tips below to help protect yourself and your family. If you do become a victim, contact us to report online crime.”
Cyber Safety Tips
- Keep software systems up to date and use a good anti-virus program.
- Examine the email address and URLs in all correspondence. Scammers often mimic a legitimate site or email address by using a slight variation in spelling.
- If an unsolicited text message, email, or phone call asks you to update, check, or verify your account information, do not follow the link provided in the message itself or call the phone numbers provided in the message. Go to the company’s website to log into your account or call the phone number listed on the official website to see if something does in fact need your attention.
- Do not open any attachments unless you are expecting the file, document, or invoice and have verified the sender’s email address.
- Scrutinize all electronic requests for a payment or transfer of funds.
- Be extra suspicious of any message that urges immediate action.
- Confirm requests for wire transfers or payment in person or over the phone as part of a two-factor authentication process. Do not verify these requests using the phone number listed in the request for payment.
