NCSAM
Temperatures are finally cooling down, but cybersecurity is officially heating up! While October marks the first full month of fall, it’s also National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM). On top of going apple picking, dressing up for Halloween and pumpkin carving, it’s time to make sure nothing spooky happens online. At Kaspersky, we champion cybersecurity on a daily basis, but NCSAM is particularly special because it brings together individuals, government organizations and businesses alike to ensure everyone has the tools necessary for the safest online experience possible.
This year’s NCSAM theme is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” As COVID-19 has blurred the line between our online and offline selves, it’s up to us to make sure our cyberspace is safe. The theme is meant to put the power back in the hands of individuals and organizations to protect their online world. But what does that entail?
The basics
Readers of Kaspersky Daily more than likely have the cybersecurity basics down by now. However, we know that there are some that don’t.
For starters, the value of a strong password has essentially been drilled into our heads. Leveling up account security with multi-factor authentication is slowly starting to become more and more popular. If you’ve suffered any sort of hardware/software failure, data corruption or malicious attack, then you already know to back up your data to an external drive. Lastly, if you want to minimize the “attack me” sign on your back, update your software regularly (or better yet, automate the updates).
Fight the phish
In Q2 2021 alone, our Anti-Phishing system detected and blocked more than 50 million attempted redirects. COVID-19 has driven more people toward online services and for the first time since the start of the pandemic, online stores were the organizations most used by cybercriminals as bait. It’s more important than ever to be wary of emails, texts or chats from strangers or unexpected persons. If you come across a phishing message, delete it without opening it, don’t click any links, manually block the sender and consider purchasing an extra line of security.
Explore, experience and share
There’s more to cybersecurity than most of us really know, especially those who aren’t working in the field. In the short time I’ve worked at Kaspersky, I’ve learned so much and implemented many new lines of cybersecurity defense on all of my personal devices, from a password manager to an authenticator app to a total protection software. There’s no better cybersecurity education than diving in yourself and working in the field. The cybersecurity field is rapidly growing and there’s a career path for everyone, whether it be students, veterans or just anyone looking for a career change.
Cybersecurity first
Whether a business or an individual, cybersecurity must be a top priority when interacting and connecting online. Businesses need to ensure that cybersecurity is a core part of their products and processes, from employee onboarding to making sure teams have the tools they need to stay safe. For individuals, staying vigilant and cognizant of cybersecurity is essential when navigating the internet. Thoroughly researching products and devices before buying, considering security and privacy settings, updating any default passwords are great first cybersecurity steps.
Cybersecurity shouldn’t be pushed to the wayside and NCSAM is here to remind everyone of that. The more our lives become ingrained with cyberspace, the more vigilant we must become against cyberattacks. Use this month wisely and reassess your digital behavior. The Kaspersky Daily blog is a great resource for our best tips and tricks for becoming more resilient against cyberattacks. As always, remember to #BeCyberSmart.
Tips