October kicks off 2020’s cybersecurity awareness month, and if this year has given us any type of certainty, it’s that smart cyber practices are a necessity. The uncertain, the unexpected, and the unknown all allow for hackers to gain our trust, and eventually access, into our personal and professional records without knowledge or permission.
Phishing emails, fake call campaigns, and websites set up to provide false pertinent information around the pandemic are far too common. With the entire population being a target with the solitary issue of COVID-19, it is easy enough for cybercriminals to set up one single campaign that addresses the masses. They don’t have to hit up just business owners or employees, or the elderly – everyone is a target for the same thing. This has given them unprecedented (immoral) high ground from which they can operate. No one knows what the definitive answers are, so it has become the wild west for false and dangerous information to be dispersed without regulation.
What Can We Do?
First, we must acknowledge that EVERYONE IS A TARGET. Not just healthcare workers, not just people who work from home, not just grandparents. Pretty much every single human on this earth is a target for cybercrime. And cybercriminals will attempt to hit at every angle. It can happen via telephone, social media, email, fake websites, and any other way that can result in success for a malicious actor.
Creating awareness is the first step and then implementing ongoing practices to reinforce what organizations and employees have become aware of is a critical step that many people overlook. We forget what we don’t do regularly. This isn’t like riding a bike – you may learn once and be able to do it again 20 years later. Cybercrime changes daily so what you learn today may be reworked for next week and presented to you in a different way.
We can help you to create awareness with our step by step cybersecurity social campaign. And we can even help with ongoing training and risk assessments. It’s important to be proactive and show your clients that you are already aware of the risks and need them to be too. With a strong partnership, you can provide ongoing tools and resources to keep them safe and respond if a breach should occur. We can help you with all of these steps.
