Large-scale cyberattacks make the news, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Cybercrime is on the rise, and most attacks go unreported. The University of Maryland found that there is an average of 2,244 cyberattacks per day, which is one every 36 seconds. The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) reported that small- and medium-sized businesses (SMB) are being targeted at an increased rate. Even 43% of SMB lacks a cybersecurity defense plan. The US Federal Trade Commission, in a recent 6-month period, had seen over 128,000 phone-based fraud scams that cost victims a whopping $108 Million – that’s only half a year! We often assume cybercrime only happens to someone else, but hackers know the easiest way to get to your organization’s information is through YOU!

Here are some actions to stay safe:

• Be careful what you post and share online.
• Don’t reuse passwords for multiple sites.
• If something seems suspicious, always verify that it’s legitimate.

In the time it took you to read this blog, there were multiple cyberattacks across the globe. Make sure you stop, look, and think before you take any sort of action.

Play KnowBe4's interactive social engineering minigame here.

For a printable version click here.