During the holidays, our work hours, travel, spending, charity, and family activities are very different from the rest of the year. Cyber criminals are great observers of human behavior, and they see opportunity in these interruptions in routine.
We’re nearing the end of October, and the end of another Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Cybersecurity is important year-round, but with a heightened focus the last four weeks, we should maximize the opportunity to shine a light on cybersecurity-related topics. Call it opportunistic, but as security professionals, we need all the leverage we can get.
It’s October which means pumpkins are being judged for size and shape by clever decorators, and children are daydreaming about the candy treats they might receive on Halloween. But for the rest of us, it’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Started in 2004 by the Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an opportunity to educate your customers, coworkers, and friends on how to protect their identities and data.
October may be the official "cybersecurity month", but it appears some have missed the memo. According to Accenture’s State of Cybersecurity Resilience report, security attacks increased 31% from 2020 to 2021, with the number of attacks per company reaching 270 annually. A 2022 UpCity study found that only 50% of U.S. businesses have a formal cybersecurity plan, and of those, 32% haven't updated their plan since the COVID-19 pandemic introduced remote and hybrid operations.
The success of ransomware attack methods has created a commodity market for criminal activity. Transactions are fast and focused on volume, and methods rapidly change with social and financial trends.
