October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, created a decade ago by the US Department of Homeland Security and the National Cybersecurity Alliance to educate the public and help ensure everyone has the resources needed to be safer and more secure online.
This year’s theme is shared responsibility, with a focus on protecting the Internet and the active role each of us can take to do so.
Global Knowledge is a sponsor Champion of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and will be posting security-focused blogs throughout the month.
The National Cybersecurity Alliance partnered with McAfee to conduct a survey on how people rely on the Internet and how secure they are. Here are the alarming statistics:
- 58% of smartphone users have never backed up their devices.
- 44% say their employer has no formal policy, training, or security requirement they must follow when using their own devices to perform job functions.
- 64% have never installed security software or apps on their smartphone in order to make it more secure from viruses or malware.
- 26% were notified that personal information had been breached in the last year.
A few tips to help keep businesses safe online:
- Assess your risks
- Monitor threats
- Report cyber attacks
- Implement a cybersecurity plan
- Protect your customers
- Train your employees
There is no time like the present to evaluate your personal and company information to ensure it is protected from cyber attacks. I know, sometimes we all think, “I don’t need to worry about protecting my information, because those people in IT are handling the security side,” or “Nobody will get my personal information, because I have that same old password I use everywhere.” Do not dismiss taking the time to reassess how secure your data is. Far too many people do, and it is our obligation to protect and defend our data and, most importantly, to be in the know about how to stay safe.
Related Resources
Cybersecurity Necessities: A Firewall, Antivirus, and a Well-Trained Workforce
Related Courses
Certified Ethical Hacker v8
Cybersecurity Foundations
CISSP Prep Course
CyberSecurity Awareness Month Series
- National Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Shared Responsibility