Today marks the first day of National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), a collaborative effort that began in 2004 as part of a joint campaign of the National Cyber Security Alliance and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The focus this year is on internet security as a shared responsibility among consumers, businesses and the cyber workforce. Cybersecurity has been in a transition year for both security professionals and attackers. Published by Forbes recently, cybersecurity spending in the U.S. could reach $66 billion by the end of 2018. Interesting enough, total breaches are down from 2017, but only because attackers are changing tactics. Today’s threats are now directly targeting mobile applications and uses as a way to breach networks and compromise data.

The goal of NCSAM 2018 is to “shine a spotlight on the critical need to build a strong, cyber secure workforce to help ensure families, communities, businesses and the country’s infrastructure are better protected.” The month is divided into four week-long themes:

1. Make your home a haven for online safety
2. Millions of rewarding jobs – educating for a career in Cybersecurity
3. It’s everyone’s job to ensure online safety at work
4. Safeguarding the Nation’s critical infrastructure

The digital transformation in Manufacturing has created new opportunities and efficiencies for businesses, but it also has created vulnerabilities for some organizations. Hackers are attacking poorly protected Internet of Things (IoT) devices to create powerful botnets. Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the growing cybersecurity skills gap to infect devices with various types of malware and ransomware.

The overarching theme of NCSAM 2018 is we’re all in this together, and we can’t do it alone. The only way to provide an effective defense is to create a team effort where employees, enterprises and end users take responsibility for their role in minimizing cybersecurity risks. Security risks are only going to become more difficult to contain as cybercriminals continue to mature in their methods. Take this National Cyber Security Awareness Month as an opportunity to ensure your organization is taking all the necessary precautions to protect your business. 2W Tech is a full-service IT Consulting firm that specializes in Security solutions. Let us help you ensure your business is protected from any and all cyber threats.

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