The Three C’s of Cybersecurity Awareness

Awareness in cybersecurity is a relatively simple concept; however, staying positive while also remaining vigilant is easier said than done. After the social media white noise of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month dies down, how can we remain on a path to greater cybersecurity awareness?

The plight of the 21st-century knowledge worker or stay-at-home-parent is to live and work each day with increasing productivity while also remaining vigilant and knowledgeable in security. Technology is improving at exponential rates every year and along with newer tech comes the unwritten expectation to do more, do it faster and do it better. Somehow, we are expected to keep up with this pace without sacrificing accuracy or quality.

In addition to the general pressures of daily work and living, we now also need to be cyber-aware, keen to the ploys of malevolent hackers who would do us or our companies harm. It’s easy to get discouraged when you step back and think about all of this. You may even ask yourself, “What can I do now?” or “Why should I care?” Despite the negative news cycle with its constant headlines about data breaches and compromised networks, we can move toward greater awareness in our personal and professional lives in the following ways:

1. CERTAINTY. As technology continues to evolve, cybersecurity awareness is quickly becoming a certainty to our existence. It is THE starting point for cybersecurity experts and novices alike. The first step to addressing any problem is admitting there is a problem to solve, so the acknowledgment that we must be cyber-conscious means that we can start addressing the problem. To deny this is to put oneself and others at risk.

2. CUSTOMIZATION. Security, Cyber and IT providers need to better understand the differences among businesses and individual users and that no single software or product can solve everyone’s security issues. When providers in the security space begin to see this clearly, they can begin to tailor solutions for customers in a way that truly begins to solve problems instead of offering the security product du jour.

3. COMMUNITY. Information Security experts and corporations have historically been hesitant to share data sources and intelligence feeds. But recently there seems to be more traction to the idea of cooperation, that we’re in this together. Information Security conferences are occurring more frequently, and the availability of training and knowledge has grown significantly in recent years, providing quality content to broader audiences than ever before.

As the impact of technology on our lives continues, we need to be cyber-aware not only to protect businesses and corporate networks but the very privacy and security of the people we care for the most.

If you would like to discuss your security challenges or measures to be cyber-aware, contact us..