October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), which is designed to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity to protect us from hackers and other bad actors. So much of business is done digitally and online these days, making technology an integral part of the workday. As a result, it’s imperative for companies of all sizes to take cybersecurity seriously to protect their data, their reputation, and the future of their organization. So, in honor of NCSAM, we present a cybersecurity ‘101’ to bring you up to speed on the basics of cybersecurity and what you need to know.
What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the collective measures taken to protect your business’s internet-connected systems, such as your data, network, hardware, and software, from unauthorized access and malicious attacks. The goal is to keep hackers and others with bad intent from accessing, stealing, deleting, or seizing access to your data and files. Cybersecurity combines technology, awareness, education, and the diligence of end-users to combat the ever-present threats we all face in a digital world.
Why is cybersecurity so important?
Cybersecurity is critical to all businesses because of the potential impact cybercriminals can have on their organization. A data breach can result in revenue loss, damage to your brand value and reputation, regulatory fines, loss of intellectual property, and even the closing of a company’s doors. That’s why cybersecurity is taken so seriously by organizations that are paying attention. In fact, The International Data Corporation predicts that worldwide spending on cybersecurity will reach more than $130 billion by 2022.
What threats are cybersecurity protecting me against?
Cybercriminals have no shortage of methods to breach your information systems and gain access to your systems and data. Common forms of cyberattacks widely used today include malware, phishing, spear phishing, business email compromise (BEC), ransomware, man in the middle (MitM) attacks, Trojans, denial-of-service attacks, distributed-denial-of-service attacks (DDoS), and zero-day exploits. To make matters worse, cyber threats are always evolving. Hackers and other malicious actors are constantly looking for new ways to target businesses and their assets. As you can see, the threat is real and must be taken seriously. That’s where cybersecurity comes in, and why it’s so important.
Is your organization taking cybersecurity seriously and doing all it can to protect itself, its systems, and its data? Do you have an adequate cyber defense in place that utilizes the latest, greatest in technology countermeasures? Are your employees regularly educated about the latest cyber threats and best practices they as end-users can employ to do their part to reduce risks? If you hesitated for even a moment answering any of these questions, you might not be doing enough. Thankfully, Golden Gate Office Solutions has the expertise and resources to help you protect your technology infrastructure against cyber threats. Contact us today to learn more.
