Have you recognized how quickly technology is developing these days? We can be enamored one instant by AI, carrying our tasks through emails and the next moment someone uses AI to impersonate us or trick us. This is the case for the necessity of good culture. That's why, today, many leaders are now talking about the state of "Cyber Safe Culture", where it cannot be assumed that we can just invest in tools and technologies for good security, but rather conduct our daily routines with good habits and an awareness of good practices according to work tasks.
This is reasoning behind leaders who talk about security being adopted to everyone's daily routines. Having a safe culture means that every employee understands their role in security, whether it means reviewing a coding proposal, using company accounts or answering calls from customers.
Almost eight in ten cyber attacks start with stolen usernames and passwords. Hackers don’t need to pick the lock — they just use the key in the door!
The solution? Zero trust is the answer:
Here's a surprising fact: on the internet, machines, bots, and APIs outnumber humans by a factor of 46 to 1. Most organizations don't provide adequate protections for the machine accounts. It's akin to locking your front door but leaving the window open.
The takeaway? AI is a formidable tool, but there must be rules around it.
Don't underestimate DNS (domain name system) that helps route internet traffic. Many hackers use different domain names to hide in plain sight. Monitoring DNS traffic can help to identify any issues.
• Everyone's job: Understanding that security is everyone's responsibility.
• Change passwords on a regular basis: Do not allow credentials to stay for too long.
• Think security up front: Make sure to build security into any application or system being built.
• Monitor DNS: Use various tools to watch for domain activity for signs of hackers.
• Use MFA: Multi-factor authentication, adds a strong layer of protection.
• Use AI: Use AI to help with detection issues, but have established rules around this.
What's one thing you could do this week? Add MFA, or change your passwords more often. Even small changes can add up. After all, threats evolve, and so do our habits.
It's About People, Not Just IT
Many of us may think that cybersecurity is just the job of the IT department. The truth is if you click on a malicious link in an email or use the same weak password, no firewall can save your sensitive information.This is reasoning behind leaders who talk about security being adopted to everyone's daily routines. Having a safe culture means that every employee understands their role in security, whether it means reviewing a coding proposal, using company accounts or answering calls from customers.
What Today’s Threats Look Like
Ha! Seriously — hackers love stolen loginsAlmost eight in ten cyber attacks start with stolen usernames and passwords. Hackers don’t need to pick the lock — they just use the key in the door!
The solution? Zero trust is the answer:
- Assign people access to only what they need (least privilege)
- Grant access only when needed (just in time)
- Continuously monitor for odd behavior in real time
Here's a surprising fact: on the internet, machines, bots, and APIs outnumber humans by a factor of 46 to 1. Most organizations don't provide adequate protections for the machine accounts. It's akin to locking your front door but leaving the window open.
AI Benefits Both Parties
Hackers utilize AI to produce fake emails and deepfake videos, and even create fake identities. However, defenders are also leveraging AI to detect anomalous behavior, respond to attacks quickly, and assess risk.The takeaway? AI is a formidable tool, but there must be rules around it.
Why small Businesses Feel The Pressure
Small businesses and medium businesses (SMB's) have it tough. SMB's must comply with the same rules and tests for security, but have less resources. Many SMB's enlist the help of managed service providers (MSP).Don't underestimate DNS (domain name system) that helps route internet traffic. Many hackers use different domain names to hide in plain sight. Monitoring DNS traffic can help to identify any issues.
How We Can Build A Cyber Safe Culture
A few easy recommendations from leaders are:• Everyone's job: Understanding that security is everyone's responsibility.
• Change passwords on a regular basis: Do not allow credentials to stay for too long.
• Think security up front: Make sure to build security into any application or system being built.
• Monitor DNS: Use various tools to watch for domain activity for signs of hackers.
• Use MFA: Multi-factor authentication, adds a strong layer of protection.
• Use AI: Use AI to help with detection issues, but have established rules around this.
All in all
No system is really ever safe 100%, but a cyber safe culture makes us all that much stronger. If we have awareness, use better access rules, and watch all human accounts as well as machine accounts, we can stop many incidents from spreading.What's one thing you could do this week? Add MFA, or change your passwords more often. Even small changes can add up. After all, threats evolve, and so do our habits.
