October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and the theme for Week-1 is:
The emphasis is on the potential vulnerability of all internet-connected devices.
There are currently an estimated 4.8 billion Internet users — over 62% of the world's population! This number will only grow, making the need to “Protect It” more important than ever.
Now one would think that today, a majority of the population are more cyber savvy, But 17 years after the advent of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, sad to say this isn’t the case.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/01/cybersecurity-202-americans-are-insecure-ever-17th-annual-cybersecurity-awareness-month/
The threat vectors have increased significantly in the time of COVID-19, because so many more people are working from home, and doing home schooling. So is it any wonder that the number of ransomware incidents are climbing.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-huge-rise-in-attacks-this-year-as-cyber-criminals-hunt-bigger-pay-days/
Yes, and on top of that…
The U.S. government's threat of legal consequences for making ransomware payments to sanctioned criminals will make third parties that facilitate such deals — including financial institutions, insurance companies and digital forensics firms — wary of approving future payoffs. Something to factor into your ransomware response plans.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-treasury-cyber-idUSKBN26M77U
And finally, we’re providing a tip sheet from the National Cybersecurity alliance on how to secure your internet connected home. This is good information for our non-tech friends and family, and a good reminder for those of us in the profession.
If you support any non-profit organizations in your community – this information (with your assistance) will be particularly helpful. Non-profit organizations have also had to switch quickly to working from home. Many of these organizations are probably not that cyber-knowledgeable, and right now are quite pre-occupied with keeping their revenue streams up and their causes alive in the midst of this pandemic. This is a good giveback opportunity of your time and talent!
DOWNLOAD FLYER- CYBERSECURE YOUR SMART HOME