EDITOR ’ S QUESTION self-service scam sites that offer phishing attack tutorials or new AI applications that do the heavy lifting for you , the tools available to cybercriminals are getting both more sophisticated and accessible .

Robust cyber hygiene is an important first line of defence , it prevents bad actors from exploiting common vulnerabilities and empowers an organisation ’ s workforce to feel confident in using new and existing technologies . This means prohibiting easy-to-crack passwords , making Multi-Factor Authentication standard practice and ensuring that security patches are immediately implemented when available . All companies have a duty of care to protect their employees as a default . So , organisations must ensure their employees have the appropriate tools and training to ensure they can identify and report suspicious communications , such as phishing , while guarding against complacency .

As a reference point for its scale , if the cybercrime industry was an economy , it would be the third largest in the world – only trailing behind the US and China .

Undoubtedly , the growing cyber-risk is causing increased stress across all levels of business , so organisations must take action now to alleviate these worries by educating all employees , from entry-level to the C-suite , about the risks .

Cybersecurity must be a priority for business leaders , not only to alleviate stress but to protect business-critical assets and ultimately , keep their businesses online . p

All companies have a duty of care to protect their employees as a default . So , organisations must ensure their employees have the appropriate tools and training to ensure they can identify and report suspicious communications .

The barrier to entry for amateur cybercriminals is indeed getting lower and lower , and they ’ re often switching tactics . Whether it ’ s the continued rise of

RICHARD MEEUS , DIRECTOR OF SECURITY TECHNOLOGY AND

STRATEGY EMEA , AKAMAI

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