Help Secure Our World - 20th Annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month

This year's theme, "Secure Our World," emphasizes our collective efforts to create a safer and more trustworthy digital world. During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Rackspace Technology® hosted weekly training for employees. Experts provided updates on password security and multi-factor authentication, while executives discussed AI and cybersecurity. The final week focused on phishing attacks and promoting incident reporting. Overall, the company emphasized the importance of cybersecurity in all aspects of its operations, from technical vulnerabilities to physical security.

While Rackspace Technology Cybersecurity Awareness Month focused on key areas like password security and phishing attacks, the domain of cybersecurity is vast and ever-changing. Cybersecurity as a discipline is expansive and constantly evolving. Cloud security, endpoint protection and threat intelligence are just a few of the many areas that underscore its complexity. This vastness highlights the imperative for everyone, regardless of their profession or employer, to take responsibility for their online safety and the security of the devices that make all our lives easier.

Empower yourself against online threats

Stay safe online by using resources that are already available to you to effortlessly integrate cybersecurity into your daily life. You can easily strengthen your safety by structuring your online activities and utilizing different personas, systems or browser profiles.

Acknowledge and counter your digital exposure

Become a comprehensive cybersecurity advocate by understanding your individual risks and taking proactive steps to educate yourself on privacy safeguards and effective password practices, then share those practices with others in your life.

• Educate the next generation: Instill online safety habits in your children from an early age. Emphasize the importance of safeguarding their privacy and adopting robust password practices.
• Guide the elderly: Take the time to introduce the older generation to cybersecurity fundamentals. This should cover recognizing scams, crafting and maintaining robust passwords and seeking help when faced with suspicious online activity.
• Align with your partner: Understand that your partner has comparable access to shared digital assets. It's vital that you both recognize and respect the potential risks this shared access presents. As a team, strive to cultivate a secure digital environment for your entire family.

Refocus your cyberenergy

To effectively manage your "cyberenergy," first and foremost, secure your email and phone.  (We can think of “cyberenergy” as the mental effort and time you put in to stay aware of threats and carefully assess your everyday actions to make sure they are not harmful.) Almost every application and service you use will perform a reset or validate your identity through one of these devices. If your email or phone become compromised, you risk a cascading security failure across other devices.

• Stay informed: Keep up to date on the latest developments regarding technology and devices. This includes regularly updating your devices to ensure they have the latest security patches and features to prevent exposure to potential threats. It's helpful also to be aware of what features and protections are automatically enabled on your devices and to understand how they work.
• Control your digital footprint: Take control of your personal information and protect yourself online by regularly checking your credit score and monitoring suspicious activity. Leverage leaked credential monitoring to know when your accounts and data may be at risk. Mindfully manage your personal data on social media and review privacy settings. By safeguarding your digital footprint, you can prevent identity theft and online fraud.

Looking ahead and feeling positive

While the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of cybersecurity keeps most security teams on high alert, it's equally crucial to acknowledge and celebrate the recent strides made in the field. In recent years, we have witnessed significant advancements in various key areas, including:

• Multifactor authentication: This is not just a reliable defense against password attacks but, with technological advancements, we now have password-less options. By leveraging trusted authentication and biometrics on our devices, the periodic need for password changes is becoming obsolete.
• Workload isolation: This approach involves incorporating multiple layers of security within infrastructure and applications. It allows the detection and containment of compromised systems or workloads, and helps to ensure that the potential damage remains confined to that specific system or application.
• Cloud security: Although it remains a top concern, the cloud security landscape has become more manageable with the availability of robust native security tools and frequent updates from cloud service providers. Moreover, these providers consistently enhance their security measures, offering reassurance to early adopters without the need to wait for third-party solutions to catch up.