It’s no secret that in today’s world we are all increasingly relying on technology. Whether it be in our business environment or our personal lives, we rely on the conveniences that technology brings to us in our daily activities. Those conveniences, however, don’t come without a potential cost, and I’m not just talking about the dollars spent to acquire devices, software, services, etc. The cost of technology also includes the addition of potential threats to security.
Cyber criminals will attempt to steal anything, including but not limited to credentials (passwords), corporate data, personal information, and even money.
While we most often likely think of cyberattacks being targeted at organizations, it’s typically individuals who end up being the real victims. For that reason, it’s crucial for people, regardless of their role, to recognize why their own cybersecurity measures matter and how it all really affects them. We should all be taking appropriate steps to ensure our information and data are secure from cyber criminals and protect ourselves and our businesses from cybersecurity risks.
However, before anyone can understand why cybersecurity should matter to them, they have to comprehend what it really is in the first place. In the simplest explanation, cybersecurity is a collection of tools, techniques, methods, and practices designed to protect devices, networks, applications and data from undesirable things, such as malicious attacks and unauthorized access. And, along with having the basic definition under our belt, we also need to learn where, why and how these attacks may happen.
Do you share information on social media sites, sign up or register for services using personal information like your email address, phone number etc, subscribe to newsletters, do any online banking or online shopping, store photos in the cloud, or do something just as simple as use email? These are the typical, more well-known targeted vulnerabilities of cyberattacks, just to name a few. The 5 general types of cyber attacks include: distributed denial of service attacks, man in the middle attacks, email attacks, password attacks and malware attacks.
Now, maybe those terms already mean something to you, and maybe they don’t. For each of us to do our individual part in enhancing cybersecurity measures, we need to ultimately understand what these attacks intend to do, how they go about it and what we can do to protect ourselves from their repercussions.
The first step for many is simply learning. Just being informed and knowledgeable will help us all take great steps in becoming more aware of what to look for and what to do or not do in our daily lives. Maybe you even want to go beyond the basics of just being informed and you want to become a cybersecurity guru. Either way, I have a couple of exciting opportunities for you!
In keeping with the theme of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, on October 25 at 11:00 am CST, LRS Education Services is happy to offer you a FREE, 1 hour CyberSAFE End User Cyber Awareness Training webinar, presented by Jon O’Keefe of Logical Operations. This short-yet-informative webinar is open to anyone and everyone. It is designed for all users of computers, mobile devices, networks, and the internet, to enable them to use technology more securely and minimize digital risks, regardless of technical ability. Whether you’re the novice user just wanting a cybersecurity overview to get you started, or you plan to eventually pursue a career in cybersecurity, this just may be the perfect starting point for you!
If your desire is to become a cybersecurity professional, again, you may want to start here, but you may also want to check out our NIST cybersecurity training courses. In these courses, our Certified NIST Cybersecurity Framework Professional Trainer and Cybersecurity Assessor, Troy Stoneking, will work with you and teach you how to align and prioritize cybersecurity activities with business/mission requirements, risk tolerances, and resources using the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NCSF).
Do your part to keep your organization and your own personal data secure and register for the webinar here! We can’t wait to share this great information with you and look forward to you joining us on October 25, 11 am - 12 pm CST!
Penny Morgan, Technical Education Instructor, LRS Education Services
MCT, MCSA, MCITP, MCTS, MCSE, MCP
Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals
Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert
Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate
Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate
Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate