Gaps in security could leave your company vulnerable to global cyber threats. Arm yourself with the targeted cyber security strategies you need to know through online learning opportunities from IEEE
If the growing threat of cyber attacks hasn’t yet raised serious concerns in your company, the following facts just might.
Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that the cost of cyber crime to its victims will reach US$8 trillion in 2023 and grow to US$10.5 trillion by 2025. Industries such as finance and insurance, manufacturing, business services, and healthcare are historically at some of the highest risk for a cyber attack.
If you think a cyber attack can’t or won’t happen to your company, think again. According to a recent Deloitte Center for Controllership poll, nearly 35% of executives surveyed reported that their company’s accounting and financial data had been the target of at least one cyber attack in the previous 12 months. Looking ahead, nearly half of those same respondents expect the frequency and magnitude of cyber attacks involving their organization’s accounting and financial data to increase in the coming year.
The Growth of Cyber Attacks
Cisco’s 2021 Cyber Security Threat Trends report confirmed that “phishing” attacks – which prey on unsuspecting users by luring them to click on a malicious link or share sensitive personal or company data, often right through email — account for 90% of data breaches. In particular, a specific type of phishing attack known as “ransomware” – through which hackers hold companies and their networks “hostage” pending receipt of an electronic cash payment, or ransom — has been growing significantly and causing increasingly greater fallout. (Consider the landmark 2021 ransomware attack on the 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline. That attack halted the flow of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from Texas to New York for several days following hacks to the pipeline’s billing system.)
According to CSO Online, two-thirds of the companies and employees surveyed in their 2022 study reported being infected by ransomware. Only half of those organizations said that they were able to get their data back after paying the ransom.
With New Technologies Come New Challenges
Experts believe that the magnitude of the problem will only grow in the years ahead, with global market intelligence and advisory firm International Data Corporation (IDC) predicting that new artificial intelligence (AI) tools will “energize” cyber security threats worldwide by supporting the creation of ‘deep fakes’ that will enable hackers to wage advanced attacks.
Perhaps the most eye-opening trend of all, however, is how unprepared so many companies are to meet this modern-day challenge. For example, while most businesses are aware of the growing threat of cyber security attacks worldwide and the damage these attacks can inflict on an organization’s financial status, brand, and reputation, only 20% of the executives who participated in the Deloitte Center for Controllership poll confirm that their departmental teams are working closely with their cyber security colleagues to shore up their company’s vulnerabilities.
Is that the case in your organization? Are cracks in your cyber security armor positioning your company to be the next victim of a serious cyber attack?
Help Your Organization Stay Ahead of Cyber Security Threats
While the digital realm has opened the door to a wealth of new global opportunities for companies, it’s also exposed them to the dangers of digital attacks waged by bad actors. IEEE offers a broad range of online courses designed to help professionals understand today’s cyber risks, the most common methods by which modern cyber attacks are waged, and targeted strategies to help you shore up your security vulnerabilities and protect your company from being the next victim of a cyber attack.
The robust collection of cyber security and related courses from IEEE includes the following:
Automotive Cyber Security: Protecting the Vehicular Network
This 5-course program covers automotive cyber security solutions and requirements for both intelligent vehicles and the infrastructure of intelligent transportation systems. Topics include cyber security issues and solutions and how blockchain technology applies to automotive applications. It also covers collection, analysis, and interpretation of vehicular data along with its impact on security, the economy, and safety. Learn More>>
Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment
This 11-course program is designed to help businesses improve their security techniques. It is ideal for technical professionals across all industries who support their company’s IT departments and require up-to-date information on how to protect enterprise networks from potential threats. Learn More>>
Hacking Your Company: Ethical Solutions to Defeat Cyber Attacks
This 8-course program is designed to assist businesses in understanding the weak points in their cybersecurity and is ideal for technical professionals across all industries who support their company’s IT departments and require up-to-date information on this growing threat. Learn More>>
All About IoT Security
Developed by IEEE Educational Activities with support from the IEEE Internet of Things Technical Community, this 6-course program provides a broad overview of IoT security, from malware to vulnerabilities, network monitoring, setting up of testbeds, and application of blockchain in IoT security. Learn More>>
IEEE Academy on Internet of Things (IoT) for the Computing Platforms
This online training covers the many multi-tier architectures that span across the IoT computing continuum, from tiny embedded sensors/actuators to edge/cloud backend computing platforms, and provides an overview of current state-of-the-art and future trends on computing platforms for IoT applications. Learn More>>
IEEE Introduction to Edge Computing
With the proliferation of the Internet of Things and the burgeoning 4G/5G network, cloud computing is often not efficient enough to support the huge volumes of data generated. In this five-course program, attendees will learn about edge computing. The program also explores several practical applications, ranging from cloud offloading to smart homes, as well as collaborative edge. Learn More>>
For more information on any of these courses, visit the IEEE Learning Network.
Resources:
Brooks, Chuck. (3 March 2023). Cybersecurity Trends & Statistics For 2023; What You Need to Know. Forbes.
Pitchkites, Max. (12 December 2022). Top Cyber Security Statistics, Facts & Trends in 2023. Cloudwards.
Sharma, Shweta. (28 February 2023). New Cyberattack Tactics Rise Up As Ransomware Payouts Increase. CSO.
Haan, Kathy. (12 June 2023). Remote Work Statistics and Trends in 2023. Forbes.
Columbus, Louis. (24 February 2023). Experts Predict How AI Will Energize Cybersecurity in 2023 and Beyond. Venture Beat.
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