With the amount of information there is on cybersecurity and cybercrime, it can be difficult to know what steps and strategies to focus on. And of course, it becomes even harder to spot misinformation. Can you separate fact from fiction? Take a look at these top cybersecurity myths to find out.
1. “My anti-virus software is current, so I’m fine.”
Not true! While up-to-date anti-virus software is a key part of a strong cybersecurity campaign, it’s not enough to stop cyber attacks on its own. That’s because an estimated 30% of virus signatures out there aren’t currently detectable by off-the-shelf scanners. Scary right? And, anti-virus software doesn’t do anything to stop other types of malware like worms or social engineering attacks.
2. “My computer isn’t displaying scary messages, and it’s running pretty quickly, so it isn’t infected.”
We’ve all seen the classic signs of a hacker attack: glitching, slow processing, and a slew of messages that can range from irritating to downright rude. But just because your computer isn’t showing any obvious signs of a breach, doesn’t mean one isn’t in progress. The scariest type of hacker is the one that infiltrates your system without you noticing, and makes off with valuable data. If you’re only looking for obvious signs of infection, you may miss a breach until it’s too late.
3. “My company is small, so our risk of being targeted is pretty minimal.”
Not only is this a myth, the opposite is actually true. Hackers love to target small and medium sized businesses because they assume those companies will have fewer protection measures in place. And it’s paying off for them too: last year, phishing campaigns targeted small businesses 43% of the time.
4. “Hackers can’t get into our systems because they’re proprietary”
Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. The protocols in supervisory control and data acquisition and process control are a widely-understood concept–even when proprietary. And, information about their vulnerabilities is widely available to anyone willing to do a little digging. The bottom line is, if you’ve got sensitive systems, they need to be secured and protected.
5. “Our IT team takes care of cybersecurity, so I don’t need to get involved.”
Yikes! This is one of the most dangerous cyber security myths there is! Your IT department can set up the appropriate tech tools to protect your systems, but that’s only the first step in security. 95% of successful hack attacks and other security incidents are due to human error–so bringing all employees up to speed on security policies and best practices is crucial.
Scary stuff, right? It doesn’t have to be. The time and effort spent on a solid and comprehensive cybersecurity campaign is an investment with serious payoff. With a strong focus on cybersecurity, your company can stay profitable and secure.
by, Spencer Grey