Cyber Security Awareness Week has become a symbol since 2003 and this year. Topics to be highlighted in October continue to appear with more and more severe effects every day.
We all know that 2021 is famous for the sudden rise of ransomware and all malware!
According to the statistics, malware attacks and ransomware attacks have increased by 358% and 435%, respectively, only in 2021.
Without a doubt, social engineering attacks remain the number one root cause for ransomware and other malware attacks to gain initial access.
Several scenarios are frequently encountered in the most common ransomware attacks of recent days.
The importance of cybersecurity is increasing every passing day, especially for organizations. Well, now let’s check some of the highlights of Cyber Security Awareness Week.
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Cyber Security Awareness Week Highlights
Considering the number of cyberattacks, individuals and organizations should prefer more complex and secure traditional backup methods. They need multiple backups for different fields with different technologies. In addition to this, every organization must have a disaster recovery plan and practice.
It is important to focus on these plans and work with a reliable cyber security provider to speed up the recovery in case of any possible attack. Moreover, you need to update your VPN technologies.
Technology, which is advancing day by day, has become a subject that needs renewal in every aspect of life. In this respect, you need to question the effectiveness of the devices and should take measures to prevent remote attacks.
Just like all the time, humans are still the weakest link. Of course, the social engineering concept is often used together with remote attack methods.
Malware that can disguise itself for months can infect any system as an employee clicks on an email. We often see that humans pose as dangerous a vulnerability as software vulnerabilities in the ransomware attacks encountered in recent years.
It is important to emphasize that education is a must! Thus, for the honor of Cyber Security Awareness Week, we have compiled recommendations that will contribute to your overall cyber security as an individual and organization.
Cyber Security Awareness Week Expert Recommendations
Protect yourself and your data. Get rid of the ‘nothing will happen to me’ mindset and protect yourself and your data. If you are vulnerable to attacks by cybercriminals, then you are also putting your family, friends, and organization at risk.
Check your passwords. Make sure that you have strong passwords with enough variety of characters. Also, make sure that you change your passwords periodically. Do not use the same password for different systems or websites and never share your passwords with others.
Pay attention to email attachments. Do not open the email attachments that you were not expecting at all. If you have doubts about the email, call the person who sent the email to you. Make sure that you are careful against cyberattacks through email attachments.
Do not use public Wi-Fi. Do not use unsecured or public Wi-Fi networks for processes such as online shopping, medical appointments, registration, or banking transactions.
Protect your webcam. Use an opaque tape or webcam cover to cover your webcam when you are not going to use it. Cybercriminals can take the advantage of webcams to collect as much information as possible. Thus, do not make their jobs any easier.
Update your browsers periodically. Make sure that you update your internet browsers and their add-ons. Always use the latest versions.
Keep your network secure. Organizations secure their own networks but there are things you can do to ensure it at home. Make sure that you use a strong password for your Wi-Fi. Update all devices connected to the network and renew your passwords periodically.
Phishing EMails Can Lead to Devastating Results
Open your eyes for phishing emails. Cybercriminals are getting more and more creative every day. Thus, open your eyes to phishing emails. Always be skeptical of email content and do not hurry to reply or click on a link.
Do not trust anyone on social media. Always be skeptical about those who are asking for your personal information. Do not accept invitations you receive from people you do not know on social media accounts and never share your personal information.
Lock your devices. Lock your smartphones, computers, and other smart devices with a passcode. Do not leave your devices in places that anyone can access them when you are not around.
Protect your systems. Make sure that you patch and update your solutions such as antivirus, firewall, and ad-blockers. We provide these solutions for you in your organization but as an employee, you can consider taking measures for the devices you use at home.
Set up two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication provides extra security for your accounts. Your system will send a pin code as an email or SMS before providing access.
Check your bank accounts and set up fraud alerts. When cybercriminals steal your banking information, they make small transactions before making large transactions. Make sure that your set up fraud alerts to prevent any transaction without your consent.
Clean up your applications. Which apps have you installed on your smartphone and computer? Do you still use them? Review everything you use and update them. Remove the applications you do not use anymore. Also, make sure that you check the application permissions.
Always Open Your Eyes for Risks
Be careful. Think twice when someone is handing out free USB disks as a promotion or you receive a phone call about your account being hacked. Do not click on alerts that tell you to click now and update. Make sure that you ask questions, research and if it does not feel right for you or you have suspicions, do not be afraid to say no.
Disable automatic connection. It can be very useful for you to automatically connect your smartphone to your Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth of your vehicle. However, it is not a favorable thing to automatically connect to unknown networks or devices outside. Make sure to turn off your wireless network discovery function and Bluetooth.
Research and share. Check out for additional safety tips and share them with the people you care about. Make sure that you share your knowledge on your security with others so that they can stay safe too.
Update your software. As MS Cyber Security, we check the updates of your systems but there are things you can do at home too. Make sure that you always update the software you use on your computer. Even if your automatic update feature is on, check it to make sure everything is working properly. Make sure that you check the updates of IP cams, smart television, and other smart home appliances.
Backup your data. You do not want to lose your valuable photos, important documents, and sensitive data. Make sure that you often back up your data and store it in a different place. Keeping your critical data and photographs in separate hardware will prevent you from being a victim of ransomware.
We wish you a happy Cyber Security Awareness Week! You can contact MS Cyber Security for all kinds of questions whenever you want.