The line between our online and offline lives has become even more indistinguishable this past year. For many of us, our homes are now our offices and, in some cases, our schools. The number of — and time spent on — devices your customers & employees use to “virtually engage” can make thinking about security overwhelming. Each device that’s connected to the internet is a device that, unfortunately, can be compromised so it is important to protect each one individually. In line with the theme of this year’s Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM), “If You Connect It, Protect It,” this week we are providing three simple tips for you to share with your customers & employees to help them protect their devices. These are good reminders for all of us – businesses & consumers alike – to own our role in cybersecurity and reduce our individual and collective risk.

Security training and marketing have a lot in common. The goals of both are influencing human behavior; to buy stuff on one side, to be more cybersecure on the other.
In the context of video, both marketing and learning research show videos work.

Cybersecurity in healthcare—like the healthcare industry itself—is all about people, not the doctor’s office. And in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and telemedicine, patients are looking for more control and improved health outcomes, which is driving the industry beyond the four walls of the typical medical setting. In 2020 alone, telehealth is expected to grow a staggering 65 percent. A broader healthcare security strategy must focus on people—the ways they work and the ways protected health information is stored and sent when providing care.

Businesses have been moving towards automation and remote work over the past few years, but digital transformation has been greatly accelerated due to COVID-19. As Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently put it, “We have seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months.”

Want to stay safe online but not sure where to start? Consumer Reports has you covered. As an independent and trusted nonprofit with a proven track record of providing consumers with truth, transparency, and fairness, Consumer Reports and the Digital Lab are committed to transforming consumer safety in our digital world.
Though we enjoy the utility of digital products and services, we are increasingly giving our personal information in exchange for convenience, knowledge, or entertainment. At Consumer Reports, we know your personal information should remain private and protected so we want to help you keep it that way.

Check out the latest free security awareness video – Internet Downloads – provided in partnership by Adobe, Speechless Inc. and the National Cyber Security Alliance. 

It is critical to focus on the impact of data breaches on SMB's and the importance of securing your employee's data.

These days, work and home mean practically the same thing. Our house is now an office space or a classroom, so that means a lot of our day-to-day happens online. We check emails, attend virtual meetings, help our children distance learn, use social media platforms to check in on our friends and family – our entire lives are digital! This increase in connectivity could mean more exposure to threats – but it doesn’t have to. That’s why this National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) you should learn what it means to to be cybersmart and how you can protect all aspects of your online life.

Right now, it may seem overwhelming to look to the future. Everything from how we work, to how our children learn, to how we meet with friends for happy hour has changed; and we are more virtually connected than ever before.

Working remotely suits some people better than others – there’s no commute, perhaps more flexible work schedules and productivity has shown to rise. Despite some clear advantages to this new normal, there are also hazards to working remotely - specifically in the area of cybersecurity. Let’s take a look at what those risks are and how they can be avoided with a few simple security precautions.