Drum roll, please! Yes, it’s your favourite time of the year.

School holidays you say? Well yes, but I’m actually referring to Cybersecurity Awareness Month! (I can hear those groans!)

All joking aside, it’s 2021, and with the proliferation in the use of technology is coming a wave of cybercrime.  It’s essential to freshen up your cyber-awareness to ensure that you and your company is safe.

Did you know that ransomware attacks increased by 400% last year?

Invented by the American’s 18 years ago, Cybersecurity Awareness Month has expanded worldwide, with this year’s theme being to DO YOUR PART #BeCyberSmart.

“The theme empowers individuals and organisations to own their role in protecting their part of cyberspace to help make our interconnected world safer and more resilient for everyone.”

To many, it’s obvious. Get your sh*t sorted out, and you’re good to go. But too often, we don’t see cyber security as a priority, we take our eye off the ball, and the next thing you know, it’s curtains. In the wild world we find ourselves in, cyber-villains are more devious than ever. Even a momentary lapse of attention on your personal device, or a company system, could result serious ramifications. A single data breach or dropping of the guard, next thing you know, your company is bust and you’re looking for a new job.

Enter Cybersecurity Awareness Month. A 31-day block of the year, when the days are getting longer, temperatures are rising and people are starting to plan for the joys of summer, I’m here to remind you that now is the time to take a few extra minutes and focus, refresh and think about cyber security.

You may be sitting sipping on your latte and asking yourself, what’s all this guff I’m banging on about? Cybersecurity Awareness Month? Surely this is only something big businesses need to worry themselves about. Well, I’ve got news for you, 63% of ransomware victims last year were small businesses.

This month we’ve got four action-packed weeks of practical education and awareness initiatives, starting next week, that will get you and your team, no matter the size, on track and ready to face the rest of 2021 and what lies ahead.

• Week 1 is all about being Cyber-Smart. The first full week of Cybersecurity Awareness Month we will highlight best security practices and focus on general cyber hygiene to keep your information safe and share our cybersecurity checklist with you.
• Week 2 – The real impact of cyber attacks. Phishing is one of the most common form of attacks and have been on the rise since the pandemic started, with 80% of all cyberattacks coming in this form. A week not to be missed!
• Week 3 is focused on solutions to protect yourself. This is a week-long campaign outlining the options available to best safeguard your business.
• Week 4 raps up with our Cyber Security Assessment. It’s got to be a priority to know your risks!

With every passing second, minute, day, and week, our world is becoming more connected. That’s great for business, but it’s also creating a huge opportunity for hackers all around the world to profit off mistakes that people make either by accident, incompetence, or just lax discipline. Cyber security is for everyone, making the information and topics covered this month crucial for anyone with an electronic device.

The threats we face in the digital world are constantly evolving, which means you need to keep evolving with them. Don’t give your enemy the chance to win the cyber-security arms race. Trust me, failure is not an option that you want to think about.