What is cybersecurity? Google defines cybersecurity as “the state of being protected against the criminal or unauthorized use of electronic data, or the measures taken to achieve this”. The technology industry uses it as an umbrella term to cover anything from the anti-virus protection on your home computer to corporate policies that define how to respond to a data breach (think Equifax).

So why is cybersecurity important? It’s very easy to be affected by any number of threats these days. Some of the more recent threats involve companies like Equifax and Yahoo, where just having an account means you were affected. Then there is the most recent revelation that all wireless devices have a security flaw that can allow malicious access to anything connected to a wireless device.

So what can you do? Education is key. The most common way to be affected is through email based scams called phishing attacks. Here are a few examples of these fake emails: http://bit.ly/2qkHAOU. You can also take advantage of local educational events, like the Westfield, NJ chamber’s cybersecurity panel event (details here: http://www.gwaccnj.com/events/cybersecurity/). Making sure you are backing up your data, and using multiple layers of security, like firewalls and anti-virus software, are other ways to minimize your risk. You should also make sure all your software is up to date; this includes Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, and any Adobe products.

Want to learn more? CBTech Support’s Marc Pickard will be part of a free online cybersecurity panel hosted by Barracuda MSP on October 31 at 2:00pm EST. Use our contact us form to request your free virtual seat.