6 Common Cybersecurity Myths and How to Address the Concerns

6 Common Cybersecurity Myths and How to Address the Concerns

6 Common Cybersecurity Myths and How to Address the Concerns

 

As the world shifts to the digital platform for operating businesses, performing day-to-day activities, and socializing with each other, it’s imperative to keep digital services interactive.

While the availability of information at hand serves numerous advantages, our digital data is constantly at risk of breaches and cyberattacks.

For many people and even organizations, cybersecurity is more of a myth.

These misconceptions and myths about cybersecurity must be addressed to protect organizations and individuals from catastrophic outcomes. Scroll down as we disclose some common cybersecurity myths and how to address common security issues.

 

Cybersecurity is a Problem for The Elite Only

Many small and medium-sized organizations or individuals believe that cybercriminals only target large organizations, rich people, and celebrities.

This misconception is based on the belief that their digital information is precious for thousands of people following them or attached to an organization. However, this absurd myth needs to be busted.

Cybercriminals hunt for any helpful information they may hack to misuse a profile, business, or organization. They can use this information for malicious purposes.

Even a person purchasing a commodity online or using social media is at risk of a cyberattack.

Small to medium-sized businesses believe they are less likely to face cyberattacks since they are too small and insignificant for cybercriminals to notice.

While many small to medium businesses do not receive explicit security threats, it doesn’t mean they won’t receive threats in the future.

For hackers, small to medium businesses are an easy target, particularly when their security system is compromised. No matter the size of a business, every organization requires a cybersecurity engineer to implement strict security measures and prevent the network and systems from intrusion and data breaches.

Cybersecurity engineers are security specialists who master the art of creating and implementing security policies throughout the organization. They protect the organization’s data and applications from internal or external attacks.

Cybersecurity engineers, or information security engineers, run specialized testing tools to determine data vulnerabilities and points of compromised security within a network or web applications and implement essential security measures to reduce or eliminate exposure to sensitive data.

For all organizations, big or small, losing valuable data to hackers means losing your reputation and millions of dollars. There was a 31% increase in security attacks in 2020-2021, and during 2022 alone, individuals lost a staggering $318 billion to cybercrime. Organizations must have cybersecurity engineers to implement the best security measures and decrease the risk of data loss.

 

The Likelihood of a Security Breach is Low

Some believe that whether it’s an organization or an individual, they are at a lower risk of a security breach due to the size or nature of the business or type of platform they are using. However, the size, nature, or type of organization has nothing to do with a security breach.

The prime purpose of a hacker is to cause damage, and there is a low probability they will let go of businesses or individuals who may not be as important as the rest. Every organization must be prepared to respond quickly to cyberattacks and have an incident response and disaster recovery plan.

 

We have Never Faced a Cybersecurity Issue, So We are Unlikely to Face it in Future

Those who have not faced a cybersecurity issue are unaware of the catastrophe it can cause. If an organization has not faced any cybersecurity issue, it doesn’t exempt them from a potential security breach.

With modern tools and techniques, hackers are getting stronger and stronger each day. Only a sustainable security policy and continuous improvement in security parameters can save an organization from the increasing risk of a cyberattack.

The purpose of any security policy is to address the points of compromised security, data vulnerability, and internet of things (IoT) security.

A reactive security system helps an organization counter a security breach and mitigate attacks before it causes significant damage to the organization.

A Strong Password and Antivirus is Enough to Avoid a Cyberattack

Strong passwords and updated security applications can indeed counter cyberattacks. However, security attacks are becoming sophisticated, and hackers have invented new techniques to steal your information and infiltrate your profiles.

Phishing attacks and malware have been successful strategies to steal sensitive information. In a phishing attack, the hackers deceive a user and portray themselves as a representative of a reliable source.

They trap the user into giving personal information such as usernames and passwords, credit card information, or social security number. So even if you have a strong password for an updated antivirus system, you may not be as safe as you believe.

The best way to counter phishing attacks is to be more careful while browsing the internet and avoid clicking on suspicious links.

Never respond to any messages or emails from people claiming to be representatives of your bank, health insurance, educational institutions, etc.

It’s always better to confirm directly from the bank or insurance provider whether a representative approaching you is authentic or not.

 

IT Department is Solely Responsible for Data Security

An organizations IT department has a significant role to play in managing its cybersecurity, but it’s not the sole one.

Due to the potential and long-lasting effects a security breach can have on the entire company; every employee must be responsible for cybersecurity readiness.

According to a study, insider threats are more damaging than hacking attempts. Employee errors, misuse of sensitive information, or leaked information have caused major security issues in many organizations worldwide.

The advent of COVID-19 compelled businesses to introduce a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy to avoid spreading infection.

Personal devices are not well-prepared to counter security attacks. Individuals use a variety of personal applications on their devices, including social media apps, personal contact lists, personal emails, and entertainment apps.

Accessing the organization’s sensitive information on a personal device caused a huge security risk. This practice, in turn, led to massive small to medium cyberattacks.

While IT departments and cybersecurity engineers must ensure security measures for personal devices, it is an employee’s responsibility to keep the information confidential and avoid using the internet or personal applications during work hours.

 

Managed Security Services Can Secure Everything

Managed security services are cloud-based remote security services that allow businesses to minimize their security protocols and equipment on site.

Even though a cybersecurity firm or managed security services provider implements and reviews security policies to keep the company safe, your employees should understand the cyber risks to your organization despite the security cover.

As we mentioned above, insider threats remain a constant security concern for many organizations despite all security measures. You need to train and educate your employees on how to identify a potential security threat and counter it efficiently.

Organizations must also consider giving their employees access to information on a requirement basis. Sometimes, giving your employees access to more information than they need creates a security lapse.

 

Final Thoughts

While technology is improving every day, cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated. Organizations and businesses worldwide are at continuous risk of a security breach.

Without adequate security measures and trained personnel, facing a cyberattack and losing sensitive data is highly probable.

We have debunked common security myths in the hope that organizations can prepare themselves well for any potential security breach and equip themselves to counter these attacks effectively.

 

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