Cybersecurity Awareness Month is marked each October and the event has never been timelier, given the recent rise in new data breaches and identity theft being announced.
For businesses, 76 percent of organizations report they have been attacked by ransomware in the past two years. This includes, as The Wall Street Journal reports, some of the world’s biggest technology companies.
For 2022, the theme is “See yourself in Cyber?” This is an attempt to draw more people into the professions of IT security. But what does this mean in practice?
To gain a series of industry perspectives, Digital Journal spoke with three leading practitioners in the IT cybersecurity space.
The first expert is Adrianus Warmenhoven, Defensive Strategist at NordVPN. Warmenhoven begins by placing an emphasis upon data protection, noting: “While protecting your data may seem like a lofty task, there are steps to be taken to maintain control over your information, especially this Cyber Security Month.”
He adds that the fast moving situation requires addressing: “With the understanding that humans rely on the internet and it is what keeps our day-to-day moving, we must look not at how to avoid information-sharing, but rather at how to maintain safety in doing so.”
Warmenhoven also picks up on the complexity: “I do acknowledge that anything that preserves privacy can be abused for crime, but since our lives have become so intertwined with the network, we must try to help people to live the lives they want or in some cases even need.”
As such, the importance of VPNs and secure browsers are emphasized this month, says Warmenhoven, adding: “In order to stay cyber-safe this and every month, a VPN provides some simple steps you can take everyday to preserve your privacy. When surfing the web, be conscientious of fake websites and when downloading apps, never download from third-parties and always double check the source”
Warmenhoven further recommends: “Consistently check and reset privacy settings on your phone to ensure you have your desired level of sharing. Double-down on your data’s security by browsing with a VPN to encrypt your online activity and eliminate location tracking With the current state of technology, VPNs are a vital component in today’s (digital) life. While we can argue over security issues (‘all websites use TLS anyway!’) or lawful interception (‘I have nothing to hide!‘) there can be no argument over the need for personal privacy. And remember, no device is hacker-proof. Be cognizant of who and what you interact with online everyday.”
The second commentator is May Mitchell, CMO of Open Systems. Mitchell focuses on the educational aspects of good cybersecurity practices: “Cybersecurity Awareness Month signifies an occasion to improve cybersecurity literacy and promote education around critical cybersecurity topics protecting people and society. The opportunity to improve cybersecurity through education and public engagement resonates with me deeply given my intense personal passion for the security field. Protecting any organization requires a 24/7, mission-driven approach to defend assets and data from bad actors.”
Mitchell places considerable emphasis upon employees: “People are the first defense for an enterprise’s cybersecurity posture, and education is the key to empowering them to harden their defenses. In the cyber threat environment, we face today, it is imperative to have a security operations center (SOC) offering round-the-clock support to customers.”
To address the people factors, good training and awareness is necessary. Says Mitchell: “Many organizations struggle to dedicate the necessary resources and are even more stretched due to changes in remote and hybrid work complicating enterprises’ attack surfaces. This month, we are committed to using this awareness opportunity to continue our mission of educating the marketplace. Every organization should understand and prioritize the necessity of using a tailored security approach that protects critical assets and maximizes security investments, without falling prey to common IT complexity that creates risks due to a patchwork of solutions – rather than a holistic approach.”
The final player is Varun Talwar, Co-Founder and Co-Creator at Tetrate. Talwar says that boundaries need to be understood in the business and digital senses. By this, Talwar means: “Companies need to rethink where their perimeters are. They don’t just include the front and back doors anymore. They also include all the windows, side doors, and other unknown vulnerabilities. In today’s day and age, there is an increasing importance to stay ahead of the cyber criminals and online vulnerabilities, and ensure your data and information, especially when it is connected across multiple apps, is secure.”
