2024 CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH PREVENTS ZERO RANSOM ATTACKS (3 minute read)

Zero??!?! Not one?

Correct.

How is that possible?

Because an awareness month, in a vacuum, is pointless.

Well, sure, but…

…but nothing. You have to actually DO this stuff.

I don’t have time.

Yes you do. In fact, you must set aside time to prepare, because you won’t have a choice if you’re hacked.

What would you say if I told you I only have thirty minutes for cybersecurity this month?

I’m glad you asked. Read on.

My network is suddenly full of people who’ve been hacked recently.

It’s getting harder and harder to hear.

When Lurie Children’s Hospital got ransomed earlier this year and couldn't recover for almost four months, I really thought the general public would start to sit up and take notice.

The bad guys do NOT care.

They really, truly don’t.

They’ll steal from your grandma, your blind brother, your friends who don’t speak English.

“What should I do if I get hacked?” is the wrong question to ask.

What can I do today to avoid catastrophic failure if I’m hacked? 

It’s easier than you might think:

1. Download and install a reputable password manager app on all devices (10 minutes (per user)).

I recommend Keeper or 1Password. 

All of your employees should use the same tool.

2. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all applications and tools (varies).

Looking for a place to start? Check out the NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Fact Sheet all about MFA.

3. Prep your notice templates (15 minutes).

This is the easiest one!  

Reach out to me if you’d like a complementary copy of my notices to customers, vendors and government agencies.

4. Order a penetration test.

While the test itself will take longer than 30 minutes, you can easily find “ethical hackers” trained to infiltrate your systems and expose your cybersecurity weaknesses so you can fix them and get back to work! 

Contact us for a referral to get started today.

Avoid becoming a sad statistic. 

Set a course for your safe cyber journey with Data Steward.

Further reading:

Fiscal Year 2023 Cybersecurity and Privacy Annual Report

NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Corner