HOW SECURE IS YOUR WORLD?

October was Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of four weeks dedicated to public and private sectors working together to raise awareness around the world about the importance of cybersecurity. We’re honoring this important awareness month by taking a closer look at things people can do to protect important digital data online.

The rising threat of Cyberattacks

It’s hard to overestimate the dangers posed by weak protections or inefficient cybersecurity. Attacks by bad actors continue to expand, touching areas of life (small business, local shops, vital infrastructure and more) previously considered too small or too peripheral to be exposed to these kinds of cyberattacks. Generally speaking, the overall number of cyberattacks increases by 50% year over year. Ransomware attacks alone rose by 74% from 2022 to 2023.

“With each passing day, we’re seeing more and more Americans realize the impact of digital systems on our way of life,” stated U.S. Deputy National Cyber Director Harry Wingo recently. “As we come together for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to emphasize the many ways Americans can keep themselves safe online.”

“Secure Our World”: the theme of Cybersecurity Awareness Month

The theme of the month – “Secure Our World” – recognizes the increasingly digital nature of our daily lives. It is intended to emphasize the importance of taking daily action to reduce risks when online or using connected devices.

Here’s a look at four key actions you can take to reduce the risk to your data:

Use MFAs (MultiFactor Authentications). Multifactor Authentication means using more than one method to secure valuable data. A single password is not enough. But a password plus an authentication code sent via text to your cell phone, or via email to your account, or any other form of multiple identity authentication? Suddenly it gets awfully difficult for an outsider to break in. Think of it this way: why post just one sentry outside your door when you could easily post two or more? Turning on MFAs on all your online accounts that offer it – email, social media, financial accounts and so forth – puts extra guardians in place to keep criminals at bay.
Create strong passwords. It’s no secret that people gravitate to passwords that are easy to remember. And many people use the same passwords for multiple websites. It’s in our nature: we like to keep it simple and use words and numbers that we’re familiar with and are hard to forget: family names, birthdates, favorite pets, anniversaries… There’s just one problem. For a hacker, these familiar, easy-to-remember elements are also the easiest, fastest-to-find terms online. Strong passwords are long, random and unique. A strong password includes all four widely available character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols).
Recognize and Report Phishing Attempts . Phishing emails are created by bad actors who want to convince you to open a harmful attachment, reveal personal information or share passwords. Always take a moment to think before you click. As you evaluate a suspicious email, here are some things to keep an eye out for:

Urgent or emotionally appealing language, especially messages that warn you of dire consequences if you don’t respond immediately.
Requests to send personal or financial information
Emails that contain an unknown or untrusted, shortened URL
Strange-looking or incorrect email addresses or links. For example, an email claiming to be sent from Amazon.com that comes from the address “amazan.com”.

4. Update, update, update! Any protective software you have installed on your devices or in your system is only as good as its most recent update. Flaws in existing software can give criminals an entry point from which to access files or accounts. The people who build your software fix these flaws as quickly as they can, but you need to install their fixes in order to benefit from the protection it provides!

Cyber Grant’s commitment to Cybersecurity

Here at Cyber Grant, we’ve developed an advanced endpoint protection platform -Remotegrant - designed to secure business data, computers, and networks.

It works by enforcing a ZERO TRUST framework, using security policies to prevent un authorized access, data breaches, and cyber threats like ransomware.

The platform allows administrators to create, customize, and manage security policies remotely, protecting devices and sensitive information from both external and internal risks.

For small businesses, Remotegrant is crucial as it provides comprehensive, easy-to-manage security without requiring a large IT team.

By controlling access and protecting data proactively, it helps small businesses safeguard their operations, maintain compliance, and reduce the risk of costly security incidents.

Collaborating for Greater Awareness

We are doing our part by collaborating with both the public and private sectors to raise public awareness, inform people about the risks posed by cyberattacks today, and share steps that individuals and companies can take to prevent them.

During Cybersecurity Awareness Month we focused our efforts in Italy where, on 22 October our own Maria Grazia Andali (CMO, Cyber Grant) presented at the Sicurezza ICT Cybersecurity Roadshow, held every year in different cities across Italy. This year’s edition was hosted in Turin, where Andali walked attendees through the advantages Remotegrant can offer businesses of all shapes and sizes.

A few days later, in Roma, our co-founder and CTO Valerio Pastore presented at the 22nd ICT Security Forum. Pastore met with forum participants to discuss the current state of data breaches in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, highlighting cybersecurity solutions companies can adopt for greater protection.

Stay Cyber-Safe with Cyber Grant

Stay tuned here for news about Cyber Grant Inc. and our upcoming plans. And in the meantime, make sure you take the simple, straightforward steps we’ve outlined above to keep your digital life protected online!

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