“Be in the know” - Cyber Security Statistics
“Be in the know” with a short summary of Cyber Security Statistics and critical insights caused by rapid migration to remote workers, the rise of online shopping and food delivery services, social media, smart home devices and connected medical devices, and mobile devices. There is an equal rise in threats, risk and accountability for businesses and individuals to protect customers and consumers data.
70% of successful breaches originate from devices and endpoints outside of the office, according to IDC.
62% of cyber security professionals indicate data privacy and confidentiality as top concern. New legislation is arising to hold organizations accountable. For example, new legislation includes the General Data Protection Regulation act and the California Consumer Privacy Act.
- Individuals must know the way that organizations are going to use personal data
- Individuals must have the option to forbid sharing of personal data
- Data must have robust encryption
- Businesses must inform users about data breaches, and do it promptly
34% of cyber attacks involve internal employees, most of which are unintentional participants.
32% of all verified data breaches are related to phishing. Email is a commonly recognized platform for phishing, but SMS, chats on social media like Facebook, and phone call solicitations or false representation are rapidly increasing.
29% of organizations have potential cloud account compromises (Source: Unit 42)
Internet of Things (IoT) devices are also targets, and are typically extremely vulnerable. Smart home devices and even connected medical devices present an opportunity for attacks and ransomware. What devices are connected to your home network, and what would happen if someone took control?
Cyber Security Fundamentals
- Educate employees regarding risks and best practices
- Require strong passwords, and educate personnel to avoid using personal references
- Apply software updates to maintain latest security patches
- Install anti-virus software
- Maintain firewalls
- Use multi-factor authentication
- Use robust Data encryption
- Maintain regular back-ups with the ability to roll-back in event of an attack
- For Enterprise Organizations, develop a robust cyber security team to analyze cloud, endpoint devices, data encryption, and the network. For small-to-medium businesses, invest in a Managed Services Provider to secure and protect your data and your business. For entrepreneurs and individuals, take the time to evaluate your personal security, and be suspicious of any email, text or chat that asks for information or contains attachments or links.
40% of CIO’s expect to increase headcount in cyber security compared to previous plans (Source: Adobe)
MIT Technology Review reports an estimated 3.5 million unfulfilled cyber security jobs by 2021, which is a 350% increase.
Cyber Security jobs currently in highest demand
- Cyber Security Engineer
- Cyber Security Analyst
- Cyber Security Consultant
- Cyber Security Administrator
- Systems Engineer
- Network Engineer
- Software Developer
- Vulnerability Analyst
- Cyber Security Specialist
Want to stay in touch with new alerts and best practices? Visit the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security at cyber.gc.ca
Do you need to augment your Cyber Security team in-house, or bring on part-time Cyber Security specialists with specific disciplines to augment managed service projects? Getting top talent in a highly competitive market can be very challenging. Belcan has the experience and the network to augment your internal Talent Acquisition team, to identify and secure experienced personnel, because the value of your customers and your intellectual property is far too great to scrimp on security.
Words of Wisdom
“The five most efficient cyber defenders are: Anticipation, Education, Detection, Reaction and Resilience. Do remember: "Cybersecurity is much more than an IT topic.”
- Stephane Nappo
“When it comes to data protection, small businesses tend to be less well prepared. They have less to invest in getting it right. They don’t have compliance teams or data protection officers. But small organizations often process a lot of personal data, and the reputation and liability risks are just as real.”
- Elizabeth Denham
“Encryption works. Properly implemented strong crypto systems are one of the few things that you can rely on. Unfortunately, endpoint security is so terrifically weak that NSA can frequently find ways around it.”
- Edward Snowden
“Passwords are like underwear: you don’t let people see it, you should change it very often, and you shouldn’t share it with strangers.”
- Chris Pirillo
#Cybersecurity
About the Author: John Mehrmann is President of Belcan Canada Inc., an IT and Engineering staffing and recruiting company that is dedicated to augmenting and empowering the internal teams at client businesses. John is author of The Trusted Advocate: Accelerate Success with Authenticity and Integrity, and was contributing author to 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life Vol 3.
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