blog
    How Can You Be Cyber Smar ...
    27 October 21

    How Can You Be Cyber Smart?

    Posted byINE
    facebooktwitterlinkedin
    news-featured

    Although Cyber Security Awareness month is coming to an end, that doesn’t mean your efforts to better protect your information should too. With an act of cyber crime occurring once every 39 seconds and resulting in trillions of dollars in worldwide damage each year, making sure you’re cyber smart has never been more important.

    Our world is more connected than ever before and with each shift in technology, the exposure to cyber attacks increases for businesses and individuals. This has become increasingly prevalent in the midst of COVID-19 as people turn further to technology for work and pleasure. Learn more about how you can ensure you’re taking the appropriate steps to protect your most valuable information.

    Multi-factor Authentication

    The more difficult a device or account is to get into, the less likely a cyber criminal will find it as an appealing target. By implementing the use of multi-factor authentication, you’re adding an extra layer of protection to fend off those seeking to break in. Multi-factor authentication is a process that requires a user to provide two or more methods of verification before being able to gain access to an online account, device, or VPN. The most common method is to enter one-time codes or passwords received via text or email prior to successfully logging into an account. Other examples include answers to security questions, fingerprint recognition or facial recognition.

    Don’t Overshare

    With so many social platforms at our fingertips, it’s easy to want to share details of our lives that might seem inconsequential. Unfortunately, these are the details hackers often use to gain access to more than what you think you share online. From posting about where you live to the names of your pets and favorite hobbies, this gives hackers a golden key to devise a scam that you, or those who know you, can easily fall victim to. By making your accounts private and limiting the amount of information shared across various platforms, you’re making it that much more difficult for your posts to be used against you.

    Maintain Password Security

    Between various work and personal accounts needing to be accessed each day, it’s easy to fall into the habit of reusing passwords, creating them with information that’s easy to remember and improperly storing them. While it may seem tedious, practicing strong password security is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and your data. This includes using different passwords for different accounts, never saving passwords in browsers, and storing your various passwords in secure management platforms. Other best practices to keep in mind are to frequently change your passwords and to always log off of devices and accounts when not in use.

    Keep Software Up-to-Date

    Skipping software updates has become second nature to many of us. It’s so much easier to click “Install Later” or when those pesky pop-ups appear on our screens instead of stopping what we’re doing to wait for updates to install. These seemingly small actions are what hackers are counting on as they seek which device or account to claim as their next victim. By declining to update your software, you’re denying your device the opportunity to patch critical vulnerabilities required to keep your personal data safe. So instead of waiting to install these fixes, try to take immediate action on those pop-ups or elect to have your device automatically update to ensure you’re protected from the latest threats.

    Secure WiFi

    While being able to connect to the internet wirelessly is a huge perk of 21st century life, it has also become a gateway for cyber criminals to participate in damaging activities. As many people are transitioning to remote work and lifestyles, it’s vital to secure the network responsible for processing countless pieces of information throughout the day. One of the easiest ways to protect your network is to immediately change the preset password to one that is more complex. An additional layer of protection is added by encrypting your network. Doing this scrambles the contents of what is transferred across your network making it that much more difficult to gain unauthorized access. Last, but not least, you should always make sure your router is up-to-date with the latest manufacturer versions.

    As individuals work to become more cyber smart, businesses around the world are following suit. Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Apple, and other tech giants have committed to taking immediate action to reinforce the country's cyber security infrastructure in the wake of a first-of-its-kind Cyber Summit hosted by the White House.

    On top of these tech giants working with the federal government and investing more than $30 billion in cyber security initiatives, organizations are now in desperate need of employees with red, blue, and purple expertise to ensure cyber criminals no longer have the upper hand.

    As you work to safeguard your organization's critical assets, or protect your most personal information, we’re prepared to be your go-to resource for holistic Cyber Security training. With decades of experience and the industry’s most comprehensive suite of resources, there’s no company more qualified to train your team.

    Contact us today to learn more about our Cyber Security training.

    Hey! Don’t miss anything - subscribe to our newsletter!

    © 2022 INE. All Rights Reserved. All logos, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
    instagram Logofacebook Logotwitter Logolinkedin Logoyoutube Logo