Cybersecurity is more than a buzzword of the digital era; it’s a real issue that should be on everyone’s radar. Cybersecurity impacts everyone, whether you’re a high-powered CEO running a company or a stay-at-home parent who mainly uses the internet for shopping and social media.
Sometimes it’s difficult to imagine the endless number of industries, people, businesses, and even governments that rely on secure connections to get through the day. To help clarify the issue, here are some key reasons why cybersecurity matters in 2021.
Elections in the Digital Age
Election time tends to be chaotic in any country, even at the best of times. When faced with a global pandemic, however, countries holding elections have even more to worry about in the digital era. As hackers may compromise the integrity of voter data and ballots, a breach could also skew data and produce false election results.
Fortunately, as the voting process evolves to include more technology, innovators are enhancing cybersecurity through targeted initiatives. Take, for example, David Becker’s contributions to election security through data validation and time stamping.
As the world continues to become more digital, increasing cybersecurity surrounding elections is paramount.
Shift to a Remote Workforce
In 2021, many employees are still working from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some of these workers will eventually return to the office, others are at home permanently or approaching a flexible work model.
When the world was sent home, employers who could facilitate remote work were quick to do so. While this pivot plan helped keep many companies afloat, it poses another issue: a lack of security preparedness. Many organizations lacked the cybersecurity infrastructure to prepare for remote access to their sensitive data, putting their organizations at risk.
Many people might imagine hackers in dark basements targeting large corporations that store millions of dollars in offshore accounts. However, the opposite is true. Small businesses tend to be at a higher risk of experiencing a data breach or cyber attack.
It’s estimated that 42% of SMEs experience at least one cyber attack per year. More than half of the small businesses that experience a catastrophic data loss go under within two years.
Cybersecurity matters if you own a small business. It matters if you work from home and want job security. Finally, it matters for the local economy in ensuring your favorite shops and organizations are still around a year from now.
The IoT in Homes
Another significant area of risk in 2021 is the increased use of the Internet of Things (IoT) in our homes. The IoT is the use of smart devices and cohesion between internet-connected devices that make life easier.
While the idea of having a hacker turn on your smart kettle may not be concerning, there are other issues to keep in mind. Logging into your smart home app from a public wifi setting could allow someone to hack your account and turn off your home security system. If you make purchases using Alexa, you could be at risk of having your credit card virtually stolen.
Increased Access to Technology
The days of landlines and dial-up internet are long gone. Now, almost everyone carries access to the internet in their pockets. We have technology with us wherever we go. In addition, we gain access to technology at a younger age. Many teenagers and children have smartphones, with toddlers and young children accessing the internet via tablets.
Increased access to technology entails an increased risk of a data breach. While you might know not to click a suspicious link in your email, children aren’t always aware of the implications of clicking through an ad or downloading a new app without researching it first.
Cybersecurity matters in 2021 to protect ourselves and our vulnerable children in a highly connected world.
Cloud Computing and Interconnectivity
Cloud technology has revolutionized how we interact with the world and how we do business. Now, remote teams of employees from all over the world can edit documents together in real-time. Families can instantly upload and transfer photos and information to a shared storage device on the cloud.
In other words, we’re all connected. That means, if one person has an issue, it will spread like a virus. Your co-worker clicking through a bad link puts everyone on the network at risk. Your grandmother getting a virus puts everyone on the family shared drive at risk.
Just like COVID-19, viruses and data loss can easily and quickly spread as we become more interconnected online.
An Increase in Digital Transactions
When the internet was still relatively new for the average consumer, there was an understandable hesitation to conduct transactions online. Now, online shopping has surpassed in-person shopping in many industries, and people send money transfers with the click of a button.
This increase in digital transactions means it’s easier for tech-savvy hackers to steal money, seemingly out of thin air. Having the right cybersecurity measures allows you to transfer money or use Apple pay without worrying about your bank account getting drained.
Cybersecurity matters now more than ever. As our world grows and evolves in an online ecosystem, cybersecurity will continue to be an essential protection measure for our daily lives.