Cybersecurity is one of the major constants in our 21st century lives. However, did you know that one of the world’s first laws designed to fight malicious internet activity was passed in 1990? The United Kingdom’s Cybersecurity Misuse Act preempted many of the laws now in place to combat the vast range of exploitative cybercrimes targeting individuals and organizations.
In 2020, these laws, and their related protective measures, are facing off against a growing number of phishing and malware attacks. In fact, reports like this from tech giant Microsoft, show attacks have risen in line with the rapid global shifts to people living, studying, and working from home due to COVID-19 shutdowns.
As everyone’s lives changed overnight, the threat of cyberattacks has multiplied significantly. This is largely due to there being so many more people online, which has not only placed strain on the network, but also created opportunity for a series of hoaxes driven by concerns around the pandemic.
How can we stay safe?
Although many experts affirm the potency of risk for cyberattacks, the reality is that a significant element of cybersecurity is tied to proactive behaviors, similar to those preventative steps we take to protect our physical health. A fundamental means of overcoming cyber threats is proactivity on the part of users, which doesn’t always happen.
Even with knowledge of risk points and cybercrime increases, research from Callsign shows that 44 percent of American consumers have no plans to change their passwords, while 55 percent of UK consumers won’t update their old passwords or PIN. Their findings report:
“Hackers/crackers leverage many sources and methods to gain access to a user’s account—these findings are well worth the read.”
With the current backdrop of the pandemic and the volume of extra time spent online, it’s a worthwhile endeavor for everyone to take positive steps towards better cybersecurity habits, and MSPs can be a valuable resource to their clients during this time, offering solutions and services that help protect a business and its valuable resources. Christopher R. Wilder writes on this topic for Forbes:
“From a cybercrime perspective, Covid-19 revealed a new breed of bad actors, sources, methods and attack vectors that would never [have] been exposed without a crisis like this.”
As the saying goes, there’s quite literally no time like the present to upskill yourself with digital literacy. You can’t afford to take any measure of good luck in cybersecurity for granted. It can be as simple as starting by addressing your password hygiene as identified above.
To help you learn more, security professionals Paradyn explain the ‘Cybersecurity Trends To Know In 2020’ in this infographic. Read on for statistics, key facts and expert insights to make small changes that can have big impacts on your safety as well as security.
Photo: Nanci Santos Iglesias / Shutterstock
