See Yourself In Cyber
Did you know that for the past 19 years October has been declared Cybersecurity Awareness Month? Since 2004, government and industry have collaborated to raise cybersecurity awareness and help ensure all Americans have access to the information and tools needed to stay safe and secure online.
The online world has become an integral part of our lives. Every day we log on through cell phones, computers, laptops, tablets and devices that control many different aspects of daily living. Both personally and professionally, we continually relay important information to entities we may have never met. As we shop, bank, conduct business and interact with our friends and family, we become increasingly vulnerable to threats from malicious entities who spend their time and energy devising schemes to take advantage of weaknesses within our system structures.
“See Yourself in Cyber” is the theme for this year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month. However when you rate your skills in the cyberworld, as a business you should realize that you and your employees are the first and best defense against those players who are out there trying to stay one step ahead of every firewall and antivirus program developed. Both at home and at the office, which are increasingly entwined, being aware of potential scams and how to avoid them is key to avoiding cybersecurity catastrophe.
By offering continual education on the dangers of “social engineering”, the latest term describing how people are deceived into divulging sensitive information through electronic means, you are putting up an effective first line of defense. Here are the most common ways scammers take advantage of a person’s inclination to respond to a request for information:
Phishing is defined as “the fraudulent act of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information such as passwords and credit card numbers.”
Spear phishing is a more specific practice of “sending emails (seemingly) from a known or trusted sender in order to induce targeted individuals to reveal confidential information”.
Smishing uses texting, rather than email, for the same purpose of gaining confidential information, often claiming to be from a bank or other business needing information to keep an account from closing or make a payment to an account.
Vishing uses the phone to convince people to convey information that is personal or confidential such as passwords, bank account information, credit card numbers.
As hackers become more sophisticated, it is increasingly difficult to recognize these dangerous scams in the split second before deciding to respond. Google has offered a short quiz to help educate people on the many ways it is easy to be tricked into providing information when it is requested. As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we suggest you send this link to your employees and remind them of just how much you appreciate their efforts to keep the company protected.
If you have questions about cybersecurity for your business, NuSpective is here to help! Visit our site, fill out the form below, or book a meeting here!
