Ground Labs Official Champion of Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Every October, the National Cybersecurity Alliance observes Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which launched in 2004 as a global effort to promote online safety and privacy awareness. As a testament to our commitment to the cause, Ground Labs is an official 2021 Champion of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, supporting the principle that all organizations share the responsibility of being conscientious stewards of personal information.

This year’s Cybersecurity Month theme is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart” to emphasize that cybersecurity is both a shared and an individual responsibility. If everyone does their part — implementing stronger security practices, raising awareness, and educating vulnerable audiences — our interconnected world will be safer and more secure for everyone.

Tips to Bolster #CyberSmart Practices

The National Cyber Security Alliance is prioritizing cybersecurity in business by asking that products and processes be “secure by design” and for companies to consider purchasing cybersecurity solutions for new internet-connected devices. According to a recent study by Tessian, 56% of IT leaders believe their employees have picked up bad cybersecurity behaviors since working from home. Here are a few tips to ensure safety while working remotely:

1. Remember, smart devices need smart security.
   When using a new device, be sure to turn on the privacy and security settings to limit where and with whom you share information.
2. Put cybersecurity first in your job.Good online hygiene should be part of any organization’s onboarding process. If it’s not, then take it upon yourself to exercise best practices and smart habits to keep your company — and your customers — safe.
3. Make passwords and passphrases more complicated.
   Generic passwords are easy to hack. If you need help remembering and storing your passwords, do not hesitate to turn to a password manager for assistance.
   
4. Never use public computers or networks to conduct sensitive business.
   While working from home, you may be tempted to change scenery and work from a coffee shop or another common area. Particularly when working in a public setting, protect yourself from hackers by keeping activities anonymous and avoid conducting any work online that is sensitive or private.

Our co-founder Stephen Cavey shares his own insights for individuals to follow. “I advise organizations of any size to collect the data they need and nothing more. When it comes to personal data, there is no such thing as “nice to have” — only what is necessary to collect in order to run your business and deliver your product or service. The consequences of over-collecting personal data are severe and highly visible as the number of reported data breaches continues to rise.”

Data Discovery: The First Step to Cybersecurity

One of the first steps organizations should take in keeping personal information safe is to understand where it resides. The growth of available data is exponential, especially given the recent shift to remote business operations. As a result of this, organizations may not have an accurate idea of where all of their sensitive data lives. To get a better understanding of data collection, it’s critical for organizations to conduct a regular audit of the data in their possession — a process known as data discovery.

With Enterprise Recon by Ground Labs, organizations can find and remediate personal and sensitive information across the broadest range of structured and unstructured data, whether it’s stored on servers, employee devices, or in the cloud. Enterprise Recon enables organizations worldwide to seamlessly discover all of their data and comply with GDPR, PCI DSS, CCPA, HIPAA, Australian Data Protection Law, and other data security standards that require the ability to locate and secure PII data as well as information on gender, ethnicity and health.

For more information on how your organization can get started with data discovery, please book a demo with one of our experts today.

Read more on Cybersecurity Awareness 2021 here.