Let’s be honest, diving into anything Cybersecurity related is exhausting. The more you know the less you actually want to know. Evidentaly our world has changed so much over the years it’s a struggle to keep up. Almost like walking up on a downward moving escalator.
Cyber security is an ever growing necessity in this era of data and analytics. As innovative as technology is becoming, simultaneously the cyber criminals are evolving as well. Staying up to date on their method of attacks and the reality of this undeniable threat is the definition of wisdom at this point.
Here are 6 reasons education on Cyber Security is wise:
1. Awareness empowers active defensive tactics.
- Terminology like Malware, ransomware, phishing, AI-powered risks should be common dialect between every data reliant business in the world.
- Inform employers and employees on the reality of a cyber threat – they will have an advantage against victimization
- Understanding the reach that cyber security has is vital in the battle against cyber threats. Knowing that they are inventing tactics to gain access to more than just sensitive data, but also to war weapons highlights the urgency of this.
2. Security breaches cost the world trillions
- Cybercrime has caught the attention of WEF (World Economic Forum), so much so that in January of 2023, it ranked at the top of the top 10 risk discussions alongside climate change!
- The cost of cybercrime is estimate to cost the world $10.5 TRILLION by 2025.
3. None of us are ‘’untouchable’’
- You might be thinking, “I own a small business. Cyber criminals won’t pay any attention to me. They’re after the big corporate companies.” According to studies recently done, 43% of cyber attacks are on medium to small businesses.
- TalentLMS made it clear that even if employees go for training, 61% still fail a basic quiz in identifying a threat. 17% of the surveyed employees working in information services passed the quiz, 57% working in healthcare. Therefore companies are at a 50-80% risk of an successful hacking attempt.
- In 2018 Paige Thomson hacked Amazon Web services and found a way into Capital One, through the very firewall that was set-up to protect them, stealing 100+ million of their customers personal information. If this doesn’t raise you into action just keep reading…
4. Being in denial is being a fool
- This is a Global problem. By tackling this on together and growing in awareness we can create a safer digital environment collectively.
- INTERPOL compiled a Cyberthreat assessment report in 2022. It states that 95.21% of 219 million cyber threats are email-based-attacks.
- South Africa alone is facing 100% increase in mobile banking app fraud, 577 malware attacks every hour simply because of a lack of educated awareness on what’s really happening.
5. You will lose credibility and prospects
- Companies like Ebay, Yahoo, Equifax, Target, Sony, Telkom, Transnet etc. all fell victim to cyber-attacks simply because of negligence.
- According to a statistic study done on cyber-attacks, everyone has been hacked one way or the other. Since 2001 there has been a 1517% increase in victims per hour.
- As if being breached and held for ransom isn’t enough, companies are almost guaranteed to suffer loss of revenue, prospects and a damaged reputation, eventually leaving you stranded to pay more money than you can probably afford in order settle claims.
6. Digital data is the future of all businesses
- Technology is as much a part of our success in business as money is. Is it possible to run a business without technology? Yes, but it is most certainly not beneficial.
- Everything is digital, and if it isn’t digital yet, it will be in a couple years’ time. From going cashless and doing all transactions online to storing and managing data in a cloud, we have laid a foundation of technical dependency.
- Carmen Ene wrote something profound in her article on “10.5 Trillion reasons why we need a united response to cyber risk”. She said, “…many organizations treat cybersecurity as reactive – often resorting to damage control rather than proactively planning for security from the very start.”
To conclude:
I am wholeheartedly in agreement with you – all of this is overwhelming and unsettling. Once you start to dive into the realm of IT and its vast terminology, it immediately feels like a bottomless pit. However, we cannot keep running from the reality of things that make us feel uncomfortable.
To fight against the inclusive growth rate of technology is exactly like swimming against the undertow. You will waste your energy and resources. Therefore, I do agree with Carmen Ene, if we can find a way to collaborate and unite on a global scale then we will get ahead of this.
Working at Skills Alliance has reminded me of something really important. It’s a perspective that I learned a couple of years ago that changed my life,
“You can do anything, but you can’t do everything”- David Allen.
Maybe, you’re not going to be a CIA agent saving the world in cybersecurity. Maybe, you’ll be the employee that saved an entire company from a possible hacking attempt because you’ve learned how to identify a phishing email or a cyber threat.
Sometimes we focus too much on the grand scheme, that we forget something grand is built on a coalesce of individuals working together.
Bianca van Aswegen
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