October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, 2021 Stats

This will help educate and inform businesses on current cyberattack statistics and ways to help your users keep up with their cybersecurity defenses.

Whether you know it or not, every year since 2003, October has been recognized as National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) in the United States. The purpose is to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.

This observance was started by the National Cyber Security Division within the Department of Homeland Security and the nonprofit National Cyber Security Alliance to keep Americans safe and secure online.

Cybersecurity was not at the top of the agenda during the pandemic as businesses transformed their workforce to a work-from-home (WFH) or a hybrid of WFH and in-house model.

While the pandemic changed the way we live and do business, an underlying threat grew bigger. Cybercriminals took advantage of unsecure remote networks and created innovative and creative ways to carry out a variety of damaging cyberattacks.

For the first time since its inception, observing NCSAM has never been more important. In honor of this observance, the following information contains current cyberattack statistics and ways to help your users keep up with their cybersecurity defenses.

Cyberattack Statistics

According to HP Wolf Security, since the beginning of the pandemic, cyberattacks are up 400%. It has been predicted that global cybercrime damages could cost up to $10.5 trillion annually by 2025.

Accenture’s Cost of Cybercrime Study reported 43% of cyberattacks occur on small businesses but only 14% of small businesses are prepared to defend themselves. These businesses around the globe have experienced:

• Insufficient Security Measures – 45% report they have ineffective processes in place to mitigate attacks.
• Frequency of Attacks – In the past year, 66% have experienced an attack.
• Background of Attacks – 69% agree attacks are more targeted.

The most common cyber attacks small businesses experience are:

• Phishing/Social Engineering – 57%
• Compromised/Stolen Devices – 33%
• Credential Theft – 30%

Top Ransomware Statistics

Ransomware, a form of malicious software that infiltrates a network or computer to restrict access to critical data until a ransom is paid, has remained the prominent malware threat and has affected more organizations across all industries and sectors over the past year due to the rise in remote work. Top ransomware statistics include:

• In June 2021, the weekly average number of ransomware attacks was more than 149,000. The prior year reported only 14,000 which is a 966% increase. (FortiGuard Labs 1H, 2021)
• Over 1/3 of automotive, MSSP, government, and telecommunications industries experienced ransomware attacks. (FortiGuard Labs 1H, 2021)
• Nearly 1/4 of all other sectors experienced ransomware attacks. (FortiGuard Labs 1H, 2021)
• Businesses of all sizes, in any location, are susceptible to breaches and attacks. (FortiGuard Labs 1H, 2021)
• Due to Covid-19, malicious emails are up 600%. (ABC News, 2021)
• The largest ransomware payout in 2021 was made by an insurance company in the amount of $40 million, setting a world record. (Business Insider, 2021)
• Ransomware attacks occur every 11 seconds. (Gartner, 2021)
• Only 96% of 1,086 organizations whose data was encrypted actually got their data back. (Sophos, 2021)
• Tactics hackers use the most to carry out ransomware attacks include email phishing campaigns, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) vulnerabilities, and software vulnerabilities. (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), 2021)
• According to a survey conducted on 1,263 companies, 60% of the respondents experienced revenue loss and 53% reported their brands were damaged. (Cybereason, 2021)
• Out of those surveyed above, only 42% of companies with cyber insurance reported only a small part of the damages from a ransomware attack were covered. (Cybereason, 2021)

National Cyber Security Awareness Month Weekly Guide

Over the years, NCSAM has developed different themes for each week of October for businesses and their employees to observe and follow. These weekly themes will help educate and inform businesses and their employees. They will also help individuals to keep up with their cybersecurity defenses.

Different activities, Lunch and Learn events, cybersecurity awareness training, interactive online courses, and meetings or video conference calls will keep your employees engaged all month.

Treysta Technology Management has Cybersecurity Awareness Month resource kits available for your organization. With these activities, we will ensure every employee, from the CEO to the Receptionist, understands we all share in the responsibility to keep hackers and bad actors at bay.

Through the distribution of infographics, posters, tips, and the utilization of training videos, your work from home or hybrid staff can learn a lot during the month of October. Each week can represent a different area of cybersecurity awareness and you can center your activities and training around different components. For example:

• Week One – Email Phishing Red Flags and Social Engineering Red Flags
• Week Two – Block Mobile Attacks and Securing Entry Points
• Week Three – Rogue URLS, Internet Security, and Security Awareness Training
• Week Four – Ways to Avoid Cybercrimes, Password Management and Security

Another example of October’s calendar can include:

• Week One – Safety and Security on the Internet
• Week Two – Educating Employees in the Workforce and Promoting Best Practices
• Week Three – Promote Awareness of Different Types of Cyber Threats
• Week Four – Look at the Future of the Connected World and the Internet of Things (IoT)
• Week Five – Build Resilience in Critical Systems by Highlighting Ways to Keep Infrastructure Secure

TREYSTA Technology Management has a team of experienced cybersecurity experts who can offload your cybersecurity concerns and provide cybersecurity awareness training to every staff member.

We can help you develop a culture of best practices through our robust cybersecurity solutions and services. Don’t forget to take full advantage of National Cyber Security Awareness Month this October. For more information, give us a call at (888) 242-0244.