Cybersecurity, did you know…?
October is Cyber Security month. Cyber security forms part of our culture here at Podfather. It’s not something we focus on once a year, it’s part of our day to day working lives. As an ISO 27001 certified organization, that also holds Cyber Essential accreditation, we know how important cyber security is to both our business and to the customers that we work with.
But did you know how this came to be? Here we look at some facts that you might not know about the area of Cyber Security.
The first computer virus
The first computer Virus Was a Prank. "Creeper" appeared in the 1970s as a harmless program that displayed the message "I’m the creeper: catch me if you can" on infected machines. It wasn’t destructive but marked the beginning of the virus era,
Weak passwords are everywhere
Every year, studies show that“123456”and“password”remain two of the most commonly used passwords, despite how easy they are to guess! Strong, unique passwords are a vital step in preventing cyberattacks.
Humans are the weakest link
About 95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error. Whether it’s clicking a phishing link or using weak passwords, people are often the biggest vulnerability in security systems.
Not all hackers are bad!
‘White hat hackers’ are ethical hackers hired by companies to find vulnerabilities in their systems before malicious hackers can exploit them.
Data breaches are expensive
The average cost of a data breach in 2023 was about $4.45 million, which includes fines, loss of trust, and business disruption. 2023 saw an organisation (T-Mobile) fined $350 million as part of a settlement for a data breach that affected 76 million customers. They were also ordered to invest $150 million in cyber security defences. Investing in cybersecurity upfront is way cheaper than dealing with the aftermath of an attack.
Ransomware is on the rise
Ransomware attacks saw a significant increase in 2023. Zscaler reported global ransomware incidents rose by 40%, driven largely by ransomware-as-a-service models and new extortion methods focusing on data exfiltration rather than encryption. SANS indicated a larger jump, with attacks increasing by 73% compared to 2022, highlighting the growing severity of the threat across industries and sectors.
Cybercrime is a global economy
If cybercrime were a country, it would be the world’s third-largest economy, after the U.S. and China, with damages expected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025.
Be aware of social engineering
Cybercriminals don’t just rely on technical skills to breach security systems. Social engineering, where attackers trick people into revealing confidential information, is one of the most common and effective hacking tactics.
Antivirus Is Not Enough
While antivirus software is important, it’s only one layer of protection. A multi-layered approach, including firewalls, encryption, and employee training, is critical to staying safe online.
Cyber Hygiene
Cyber hygiene refers to best practices for online safety, like regularly updating software, using two-factor authentication, and being cautious of suspicious emails.
Together we can help raise awareness.
Reminding your teams about the dangers, and how to avoid them, helps us all to stay safe online in today’s digital world.
