By Kevin Reed, CISO at Acronis
October was cybersecurity awareness month, originally designated
back in 2004 by United States President George W. Bush and Congress to raise
awareness of the growing cyber threat landscape that affects businesses, the
government, and individuals. 2022's theme was "See Yourself in
Cyber," stressing the importance that cybersecurity is intertwined in
everyone's life and that individual actions can help combat cyber threats while
encouraging people to practice good "cyber hygiene." The theme was a good reminder
that amongst those of us regularly connected to the internet, having basic
cybersecurity knowledge is commonplace by now, but it's not enough. Cybersecurity
Ventures predicts cybercrime to cost the world $6 trillion in 2022, with
attacks targeting businesses especially detrimental to global economies. As the
number of devices connected to the Internet increases, so does the need for better
cybersecurity know-how for the average person, achieved by individual actions,
collaborative efforts, and incorporating cybersecurity into school curriculums
across all ages to prepare the next generations for an increasingly digital environment.
Basic cybersecurity knowledge isn't even enough for the
average person. The U.S. Census reported that, in 2018, 92%
of U.S. households had at least one type of device connected to the Internet.
That's millions of people sending and receiving data and information about
other people all around the world, much of it personal and sensitive-whether
they know it or not. This information could end up in the hands of someone with
nefarious intentions, and that's all it takes to ruin someone's life via stolen
identity, scammed money, personal information leakage, or any other potentially
catastrophic outcome. The more devices a person has, the more surface is
available for a potential cyberattack, carried out via ransomware, phishing, remote
access, and other countless methods of cyber terrorism. Therefore, it's
essential to equip everyone with cybersecurity knowledge beyond what's expected,
teaching them why it's so important to protect personal information and understand
how to do successfully do so.
The first step, as always, is to start with the individual.
Until being cybersecurity savvy is a household necessity like cleaning and
cooking skills, people should take independent action to increase their
knowledge and refine their threat-identification skills. Most tech-savvy people
know the importance of creating secure passwords, reminded of the importance
every time they sign up for a new service online. There is a growing occurrence
as more and more products and services require an online account to be fully
utilized. Creating secure passwords and phrases is a good start, but phishing
attacks, where attackers spoof login pages and emails, or use other deceitful methods
to obtain sensitive credentials, can render any good password useless. The best
defense against phishing is learning to identify threats and fake login pages,
but most people don't second-check login pages, especially when it's provided
by a real-looking email or a trusted (but hacked) friend via instant message. With
greater global cybersecurity knowledge, the damage caused by phishing attacks
would drop significantly. To get started on sharpening your threat detection
and overall cybersecurity skills, it is suggested to use one of the many free
resources available online, such as Khan
Academy's Online data security unit. Although a lot of free courses are
designed for those seeking a cybersecurity-related career, the skills are
transferrable to everyday applications, especially for those working remotely
on personal devices.
Adding cybersecurity to the grade school curriculum is also
a potential step toward a more secure digital future. While many undergraduate schools
offer some sort of cybersecurity program, cyber protection education should
begin even sooner. Preparing future generations for threats they could
encounter online isn't a new idea, but according to a study conducted by CYBER.ORG, only 10% of K-12 teachers
responding to a survey reported being knowledgeable about cybersecurity. However,
over 84% of kids in the U.S. own a laptop or desktop computer, as
discovered by a survey by Common Sense, with the use of screen time surging
by over 17% since the pandemic started. With almost all public schools equipped
with at least one computer lab, we can use this as an opportunity to start
teaching our youngest generations cybersecurity or offering classes as an
elective, both to inspire and guide those looking to launch a career in cybersecurity
and be available to students seeking a more secure online experience.
Finally, although taking initiatives as an individual can help
combat cyber threats, our ability to collaborate and work together is our
strongest asset in this ongoing battle. Teach those around you, especially less
tech-savvy people, how to take security measures beyond what's expected-such as
introducing them to two-factor authentication to protect themselves from
phishing and password enumeration attacks, and teaching them how to securely
back up data. If you're able to do so, organize cybersecurity awareness
programs where you work, or implement regular cybersecurity drills and training
into the work cycle. If you encounter strange websites, emails, malware, or
anything else out of the ordinary, report it to the developers, IT department,
or whomever applicable at your company who can take steps to alert those who
could be affected by a similar threat.
The future of connected technology is full of exciting
potential and promises, but it's up to us to make it secure for ourselves and
for the generations succeeding us. Raising cybersecurity awareness year-round
and not just during the month of October, both as an individual and to those
around you, will only help contribute to a safer cyber landscape as the digital
environment continues to develop. If we as a species can start taking
cybersecurity as seriously as physical protection, I predict a dependable and
exciting digital revolution on the horizon, supported and led by those willing
to take the initiative.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In his 20+ years in cyber security, Kevin has been protecting various organizations from cyber threats. Some of his experiences include implementing cryptographic protection for the 3rd largest bank in Europe, building from the scratch security organization for a NASDAQ-traded search engine company, leading technology operations and running IT infrastructure for one of the largest e-commerce sites in South-East Asia. Now CISO of Acronis, Kevin is in charge of defining company security strategy, developing cutting-edge security solutions and leads the company’s Cyber Protection Operation Centers (CPOC) worldwide.