In today’s hyperconnected world, every click, code commit, and cloud deployment carries risk. Whether you’re an engineer, developer, technical leader, or staff member, cyber security is part of your job description.

October marks Cyber Security Awareness Month, a global initiative to raise public awareness and encourage individuals and organizations to protect themselves in the digital world. But cyber security isn’t seasonal. It’s an ongoing responsibility that must be embedded into our daily habits, professional practices, and organizational culture.

The Rising Stakes of Cyber Security

The digital transformation of industries has unlocked innovation, efficiency, and global collaboration. But it has also exposed critical vulnerabilities. As our reliance on digital systems deepens, so does our exposure to cyber threats.

Industries most frequently targeted include:

• Manufacturing: due to complex supply chains and legacy systems
• Healthcare: where sensitive patient data is a prime target
• Finance & Insurance: where breaches can have immediate monetary consequences

Cyber security is not just for tech teams. It plays a vital role across every job function and every sector.

Cyber Security Starts With You

While headlines often focus on sophisticated hacks and zero-day exploits, the reality is that up to 98% of cyberattacks involve social engineering. That means attackers are exploiting human behavior such as phishing emails, fake login pages, and deceptive messages to gain access.

This underscores a critical truth. Cyber security is not just a technical challenge, it’s a human one.

Actions Every Professional Should Take

Cyber threats don’t wait for IT teams to respond. Every role has a part to play in keeping systems safe and resilient. Here are foundational steps every professional should take:

• Embed Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
  Add an extra layer of protection by requiring a second form of verification beyond passwords.
• Build Secure by Design
  Prioritize security from the start of any project or system development, not as an afterthought.
• Maintain Regular Updates and Patch Management
  Keep software current to close known vulnerabilities and reduce exposure to threats.
• Promote Phishing Awareness
  Train teams to recognize and report suspicious emails, links, and messages before they cause harm.
• Apply Least Privilege Access
  Limit user permissions to only what’s necessary for their role to minimize risk.

These practices may seem basic, but they form a strong base for cyber safety.

Cyber Security Trends to Watch

As digital threats evolve, so do the strategies and priorities shaping the future of cyber security. Here are five threats professionals should keep on their radar:

1. AI-driven attacks and defenses are becoming more sophisticated with machine learning powering both offensive tactics and protective technologies.
2. Zero Trust Architecture is gaining traction as organizations shift toward models that verify every user and device, without assumptions or shortcuts. 
3. Global governance efforts are accelerating, as nations and institutions collaborate to establish unified standards for cyber resilience. 
4. Ethical considerations are moving to the forefront with transparency, fairness, and accountability becoming essential components of secure systems. 
5. Workforce development remains critical as the global demand for  skilled cyber security professionals continues to outpace supply.

Technical professionals must stay ahead of these trends in an effort to not just to protect systems, but to shape the future of secure innovation.

Get the Training You Need With IEEE

Amid the growing threat of cyber incidents, continuous learning is essential. The IEEE Learning Network (ILN) offers a wide range of cyber security-related course programs designed for engineers and technical professionals.

In honor of Cyber Security Awareness Month, ILN is offering a 25% discount on select courses. Use promo code CSM25 at checkout before 31 October 2025 to claim your discount.

Featured courses include:

• All About IoT Security
• Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age
• Smart City Technologies: Transformation of Cities
• Automotive Cyber Security: Protecting the Vehicular Network

Completion earns you professional development credit and a shareable digital badge, making it easy to showcase your commitment to safe, responsible practices.

Invest in the skills that will protect you and your organization!

As more governments propose data privacy laws, organizations need to renew their focus on data privacy and protecting their customers’ information. While preparing for the growing number of data privacy laws can be a complex process, organizations that stay updated with new laws will have a much easier time in today’s current environment. However, even as companies improve their systems and policies, customer information could still be at risk. According to the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center, nearly 300 million people were affected by 1,862 corporate data breaches last year in the U.S. alone. Past studies from the University of Maryland show that hackers launch attacks roughly every 39 seconds. Recent research shows that 95% of all security breaches were caused by human error. Knowing how to deter online threats before they gain access to your customer database or other critical information could save you and your company a lot of headaches and bad publicity.

Essential Cyber Security Tips

The first step of any cyber security outreach is awareness. At the average company, most employees are not security professionals. Therefore, you need to make sure they are aware of their security responsibilities. Employees will be more inclined to adhere to security procedures if they know the benefits of doing so (and the consequences of failing to meet security measures).

According to Forbes, here are five steps you can take to protect your company and your data from exposure:

1. Update your software and apps regularly
2. Start using multi-factor authentication
3. Implement device use policies
4. Limit network and data access
5. Train your employees

Investing in employee awareness ensures business continuity and protects confidential or sensitive information from hackers. However, it is important to note that because cyber threats constantly evolve, employees need continuous refreshers on protecting company data. Companies should conduct regular training sessions to help employees stay on top of the latest security trends and allow healthy discussion of any issue, potentially in a more open forum so that other employees can weigh in on the issue’s importance.

What are some of the ways that your organization is protecting digital privacy for its customers?

Cyber Security and Data Privacy Training for Your Organization

Privacy has emerged to be a critical aspect of our increasingly digitized world. Technological innovations are progressively becoming more intrusive into our personal lives attempting to extract sensitive personal information. This is often detrimental to an individual when any breach or spillage of data leads to a severe impact such as financial loss or identity theft.

Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an online 11-course program from IEEE, helps businesses improve their security techniques. Contact an IEEE Account Specialist today to get access to the course program for your organization. Interested in learning about getting access to the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network to learn more.

Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age, brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, is a four-course program that provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context, how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization. Interested in access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN).

 

Resources

Daniels, Jodi. (8 November 2022). Five Tips for Cybersecurity and Data Protection In Small Businesses. Forbes. 

Huddleston, Tom. (20 October 2022). These cybersecurity tips from a former hacker can make you 98% less vulnerable: ‘You’re raising the bar’. CNBC. 

Paul, Shibu. (10 November 2022). Key cybersecurity tips for staff and employers to safe when working remote. Time of India.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, more and more organizations are making the switch to virtual workspaces. Because remote employees rely on their home networks and equipment to do their jobs, this digital transformation poses some hefty security risks. 

A new report from Randori, a security consulting company, which surveyed 400 security-decision makers, reveals how cyber security risks have grown during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the report, three out of four security leaders saw a boost in cyber attacks. 

Leaders are struggling to take action against these threats, with 76% feeling that the attacks were unavoidable and agreeing that prioritizing what to patch has become more difficult. Additionally, although 85% said they had a good understanding of their attack surfaces (the various points within a network that a hacker can target), 48% said they are knowledgeable of less than half of their attack surfaces. 

According to Scott Ikeda, a senior correspondent for CPO Magazine, a majority of decision makers view their ability to secure their networks’ most sensitive information and minimize reputational damage to their organizations as their top priorities. However, they are unclear about how to create strategies for doing so.

“Randori believes the central problem at present is that security experts simply do not know what is exposed to cyber attacks and what the relative network security risk levels are given this flurry of fairly rapid changes,” states Ikeda in CPO Magazine. 

Six Considerations for Building An Effective Cyber Security Strategy

Leading cyber security experts told Information Age there are six ways to create an effective cyber strategy for remote, hybrid, and office-based work.

Leverage communication and teamwork:

Every department within the organization should be involved in ensuring infrastructure security. Furthermore,  there should be regular communication over email, video conferencing, and other tools on the topic.

“Once a strategy is created it needs to be communicated to the wider business, ensuring buy-in and understanding. Everyone plays a role in cyber security, especially as employees are often the weakest link in your defence against cyber crime,” said Colin Blumenthal, managing director at Complete I.T., part of Sharp, a B2B product provider.

Analyze the risks and adopt the results:

Rather than simply following compliance-related security procedures, organizations should proactively evaluate possible risks within their networks, work to understand and reduce those vulnerabilities, and figure out how to eradicate them systematically.

“Once you’ve fixed what you’ve found, iterate. Do it until you think you’ve matured your incident response. Then start conducting red team exercises to see how [your team can] respond to a real attack, and again, continue to iterate–probably, forever,” said Kevin Reed, CISO at Acronis.

Build multiple lines of defense:

In today’s age of digital transformation, one line of defense won’t be enough to secure your organization against cyber attacks. You need to consider both internal and external threats to your data. 

“Whether it’s through a firewall breach, a stolen password, or a brute-force attack, a comprehensive and therefore effective security strategy should act to also protect the interior network—limiting any data loss or damage and maintaining continuity,” said Rashid Ali, enterprise solutions manager at WALLIX.

Tighten access to critical infrastructure:

Make sure you’re covering all the security basics, whether it’s “patching, implementing regular system updates, or tightening controls over privileged accounts and administrator credentials,” said David Higgins, technical director EMEA at CyberArk. However, you also need to go beyond the basics of security, he added. “Adopting strong privileged access management is a must. This helps prevent lateral movement, contain an attack and limit damage.”

Establish security priorities based on risk and value:

“A data security strategy has to consider all data and prioritise according to the actual risk,” said Chris Waynforth, area vice-president at Imperva. Audit your data to understand exactly what risk it poses; delete high-liability data while retaining only necessary data; and monitor the data in ways that allow you to spot and avert leaks. 

Leverage technology to reduce pressure on IT staff:

Implement top-notch technologies that will reduce “the impact of cyber breaches” and make your IT employees’ jobs easier, said Ian Pratt, global head of security for personal systems at HP. 

Cyber Training Solution for Your Organization Offered by IEEE

Having the proper tools and systems in place can prevent data breaches and cyber crimes. As the world becomes more automated, it’s crucial for your organization to understand the available cyber security measures to protect its data and devices. Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an online 11-course program from IEEE, helps businesses improve their security techniques.

Contact an IEEE Account Specialist today to get access to the course program for your organization.

Interested in learning about getting access to the course program for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network to learn more.

Resources

Hurst, Aaron. (16 April 2021). Creating and rolling out an effective cyber security strategy. Information Age. 

HOW COVID-19 CHANGED SECURITY – A LOOK BACK. Randori. 

Scott Ikea. (19 March). Cybersecurity Programs Struggling To Keep up With Attack Surfaces, Risk Priorities in Pandemic Conditions. CPO Magazine.

The Centre for Strategic and International Studies recently conducted a survey of IT managers and discovered that 82% of employers believe they lack cyber security skills in their organization. Out of those surveyed, 71% feel that this under preparedness causes harm to their organizations. Leveraging the latest technology might help reduce this damage. However, making sure employees understand how to protect sensitive information is key to closing the cyber security skills gap. After all, cyber security breaches can affect the company as a whole–from the company’s supply chain to the customer.

Cyber Security Shifts

As the world becomes more digital, the risk of cyber attacks increases. Organizations need to remain alert in order to avoid data breaches, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and ransomware. Many companies also view cyber security as a competitive advantage as consumers grow more aware of the threats their private information is facing. People want to protect their personal data, so it is crucial for organizations to make their customers feel secure when giving their information.

According to Gartner, spending on security products and services will increase to $124 billion in 2019, which is 8.7% higher than spending in the year prior. The more a company invests in cyber security, the more trustworthy they generally become in the eyes of consumers. As cyber attacks become more frequent, the demand for companies to be able to resist these attacks increases–as does the need for employees properly versed in cyber security best practices.

Cyber Security Talent Shortage

What can a company do if they currently do not have strong cyber security mechanisms in place?

• Grow internally. Companies can improve cyber security by hiring experts or buying software to improve the company’s system. While this approach may be more difficult because of budgeting, it is often an easy way for a company to make progress more quickly toward closing their cyber security skills gap.
• Educate. Cyber security is a team effort. All employees should be involved and educated on reducing infiltration and data breaches. The education of employees must be comprehensive and refreshed as new cyber threats are created. It is vital that companies make sure their employees are knowledgeable in how to protect the data.

A cyber attack can cost an organization up to $13 million USD. Training and education is a smart investment that requires company-wide engagement.

Improving Cyber Security at Your Organization

Having the right tools and systems in place can prevent data breaches and cyber crimes. As the world becomes more automated, it’s crucial for your organization to understand the available cyber security measures to protect its data and devices. Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an online 11-course program from IEEE, helps businesses improve their security techniques.

Contact a specialist today to get access to the course program for your organization.

Interested in learning about getting access to the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network to learn more.

 

Resources

Smerdon, Sandra. (21 January 2020). How business leaders can close their cyber security skills gap. World Economic Forum.

Cloud security threats come in many different forms including data breaches, hijacked accounts, data loss, denial of service, and system vulnerabilities. As organizations and individuals continue to adopt the cloud, securing all of the stored information is a top priority. Companies must be aware of the risks and solutions in order to prevent serious damage.

Security Risks to Cloud Data

Data Breaches

Any data stored in the cloud is at risk for cyber-attack. From phishing to security scams, hackers are constantly developing new ways of gaining access to sensitive information. This type of attack can damage a company’s reputation and affect its market position. Furthermore, it can also lead to legal issues if customers’ personal information was released.

Access Management

Without multi-factor authentication and strong passwords, cyber criminals can easily gain access to accounts. Once they’ve hacked into one account, unauthorized users can access private information. Depending on the hacked account’s permissions, bad actors could cause a sizable data breach.

Insecure interfaces

Because your company’s API and UI are exposed to the public, having strict authentication can help ensure that cyber criminals cannot gain access. However, inadequate security leaves your interfaces vulnerable to attack. Possible consequences include jeopardized confidentiality, accountability, integrity, and availability.

Data Loss

Although many cloud providers heavily focus on security, not all attacks can be prevented. Should hackers gain access to your system, it’s possible that they could erase all of your data with the intention of ransoming it. If no backup storage is in place, your organization could face a permanent loss of data.

Hijacking

Account hijacking is a form of identity theft that involves cyber criminals using stolen information in their attacks. When this occurs, your organization can lose control of its account, data, functions, business logic, and any other dependable applications on the account. A breach of this form should be taken very seriously. It can lead to large data leaks and damage to the company’s reputation.

Insiders

While outside hackers may be the first party that comes to mind, they are not the only threat to your cloud’s security. Current or former employees also pose a risk. Because they already have access to the company’s sensitive information, a malicious insider could expose or sell proprietary information. To minimize the risk of an internal attack, it’s vital to ensure user permissions are kept up to date based on employment status.

Best Practices for Cloud Security

As more people store their information in the cloud, the risk of cyber attacks increases. With a larger pool of potential targets, bad actors are furthered incentivized to develop new schemes. Despite this, the cloud is still a worthwhile storage option.

Steps you should take to secure your information include:

• Encrypting data
• Using two-factor authentication
• Understanding open API frameworks
• Making sure everyone uses hard-to-crack passwords
• Restricting accessibility to sensitive information

Protect your business

Having the right tools and systems in place can prevent data breaches and cyber crimes. As the world becomes more automated, it’s crucial for your organization to understand the available cyber security measures to protect its data and devices. Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an online 11-course program from IEEE, helps businesses improve their security techniques.

Contact a specialist today to get access to the course program for your organization.

Interested in learning about getting access to the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network to learn more.

 

Resources

Nailwal, Mukesh. (14 October 2019). CLOUD SECURITY BASICS: HOW TO ENSURE THAT YOUR DATA IS SAFE. Techgenix.

Soni, Rakesh. (11 October 2019). The Rise of Cloud Computing Threats: How to protect your cloud customers from security risks. Customer Think.

You are most vulnerable to cyber attacks when you are traveling. According to a recent research report conducted on behalf of IBM Security, those who are traveling do not take all of the necessary precautions, connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi, charging their devices at public USB stations, and using their private information on publicly accessible computers.

What should be especially worrying to companies is that people are more likely to engage in these risky behaviors when traveling for business rather than for pleasure, with only 13% saying that they have never connected to public wifi. Because employees often work while traveling, many business travelers connect to public hotspots and surf the web.

More than 1 in 7 travelers surveyed admitted to having their information stolen while traveling.  In 2017, the travel and transportation industry was the tenth most targeted industry for cyber attacks, but the rankings have shifted dramatically. Recent data shows that attempted attacks on IBM customers revealed that in 2018, it was the second-most targeted industry.

Here are 15 tips to help you avoid putting your personal and business data at risk while traveling:

1. 1. Know your rights and the local laws before you go to a foreign country. Your local privacy rights, not to mention your federally protected rights as a citizen of your country, disappear at the border. If border guards request access to the digital contents of your laptop, you may have no choice but to provide it. Plan ahead and know your legal rights in that country and the rights the country may have to your data.
   2. Before leaving, reset all of your frequently used passwords. This includes PINs for a safe or security box in your hotel room. Take the effort to make sure your personal information is safe. Avoid using easy phrases or numerical sequences, including the all-too common “123456”. In the National Cyber Security Centre’s worldwide analysis of passwords belonging to breached accounts, 23.2 million accounts used this code. And if you’re a big music-lover or superhero fan, try to stay away from “blink182” and “superman”, the most common musical artist and fictional character used in passwords.
   3. Set up temporary email and cloud storage accounts. When it’s necessary to use a computer that doesn’t belong to you, work from these throwaway accounts. This is especially important if you plan to use hotel business center computers, which are clear targets for malware, keystroke recording equipment, and other cyber attacks while traveling.
   4. Leave personal data at home. Chances are, all your data is stored in the cloud. Before traveling, delete the local copy after disabling the sync feature on your laptop, so that there’s no important data left on your laptop. Make all your updates and edits on cloud-based copies while you’re away and re-enable the local cache when you return home.
   5. Protect copied data. Encrypt your information using products like Microsoft’s Active Directory Rights Management Service to make sure others cannot access it. Even if border guards or thieves gain access, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to view it later.
   6. Disable auto-connect on your phone. Although it’s a handy feature when used at home, it’s risky to use auto-connect while abroad. Before traveling, change this setting on your device so that you must manually connect each time you connect to the internet.
   7. Install anti-virus protection, host-based firewall, and host intrusion prevention software. This is one of the most effective ways to keep your personal data secure while aboard. Use a trusted brand of security software and update it regularly as new versions become available to make sure all security patches are applied. Also, turn off any file or network sharing features.
   8. Only work on secure network options. No matter where you go, steer clear of free Wi-Fi connections. Free internet access is appealing, but it’s also particularly vulnerable to security issues. If you must use internet cafes and free Wi-Fi hotspots, make sure it is not a fake Hotspot set up by hackers and do not log into personal accounts or use sensitive data.
   9. Disable Bluetooth connectivity. If Bluetooth is left on, nearby assailants can connect to your phone and potentially hack into your device.
   10. Make sure all your web surfing is protected by TLS-enabled HTTPS. Try to connect to secure websites only and avoid those trying to put fake digital certificates on your computer, which is a common practice among hackers. Remember that your two-factor authentication (2FA) methods may not work while you are out of the country due to the changes in your service plan.
   11. For business, Use your corporate VPN. If your company’s VPN connection uses split-tunneling, ask a member of the IT team to explain which traffic is secure and which is not secure. You can even use your own personal VPN router when traveling to make sure all connections are secure.
   12. Use a good privacy screen over your laptop display. This will keep wandering eyes off of your screen.
   13. Lock your computing devices anytime you’re not using them. This applies even in your hotel room when showering. Change the PIN numbers you regularly use on your phone, computer, and any other device you plan on accessing. This will help prevent a security breach should you misplace any of your devices.
   14. Be wary of accepting that free flash drive. Although malicious thumb drive attacks are generally uncommon, you may want to think twice about plugging in a USB drive that someone hands to you at a conference. All untrusted media should be approached with caution.
   15. Don’t share your current location with the world. Excessive sharing can create security threats in both your hotel room and at home. Think twice before using social media to advertise that your hotel room is empty while you’re out eating dinner or that your spouse and kids will be home alone for the next week. Wait until you return home to post about your travels so you can protect your assets and your loved ones.

Improve Your Security Techniques

Keep your staff members from making careless and costly mistakes that could put your organization’s information at risk while traveling. Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an 11-course program, is designed to help businesses improve their security techniques. It’s ideal for professionals in IT, computer science, and related fields who need to stay up-to-date on how to protect enterprise networks from potential threats. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today about training your organization on how to stay secure.

 

Resources

8 cyber security tips for business travelers. Norton.

Barlow, Caleb. (21 May 2019). How Cyber-Secure Are Business Travelers? New Report Says Not Very. Security Intelligence.

Grimes, Roger A. (1 Jul 2016). 11 essential data security tips for travelers. CSO.

Picheta, Rob. (23 August 2019). How hackable is your password? CNN Business.

Grauer, Yael. (30 October 2015). Should You Plug That USB Drive Into Your Computer? (Beware Of Malware). Forbes.

With the amount of personal information you have saved in your electronic devices, browsing unsecured websites and enabling settings can expose you to a cyber attack.

Leaders at the Forbes Technology Council recently shared the following tips on what to be aware of and what to change in order to boost your cyber security and better protect your data, both online and off:

9 Cyber Security Tips

1. Apple iCloud Restores
   iCloud backups are not encrypted end-to-end. Because Apple encrypts your iCloud backups, it can also decrypt your backups. Prefer not to expose your backup data to Apple? Disable iCloud backups and encrypt iTunes backups locally instead.
2. Wi-Fi Hotspots
   Wi-Fi hotspots are convenient, but many are easy to hack. Plus, it’s even easier to set up a fake hotspot. Even if a Wi-Fi network looks legitimate, use a VPN if possible connect to keep your data safe from prying eyes.
3. Unread Terms and Conditions
   While you may not care about giving certain companies access to some of your sensitive data, that does not mean you want unknown third parties accessing it through a cyber attack. Make sure you read the Terms & Conditions when you subscribe to a service and try to monitor news about these services.
4. Two-Factor Authentication
   Be sure to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on every site that offers it. It’s also a good idea to enable 2FA on your smart devices when available.
5. Unencrypted Media
   Prevent thieves from accessing the data on your lost or stolen laptop. On a Mac, keep important files and information in FileVault, that requires a password to access your encrypted disk. For Windows PCs, consider using Bitlocker for removable drives since they already have data encryption by default.
6. Wireless Mice and Keyboards
   Beware of “mousejacking” with your wireless devices connecting to your device. This allows someone within about a football field’s range away to take over a computer. Employees in sensitive industries such as healthcare or finance may want devices with attached keyboards.
7. Outdated Software
   Hackers can exploit out-of-date software. Be sure to make sure you always have the most recent update on your device by allowing automatic updates.
8. Phishing Emails
   Some tips for avoiding phishing emails include 1) checking the sender’s email address and verifying the domain, 2) alerting colleagues of any potential phishing emails you see, and 3) examining the context of the email before opening it or clicking on links.
9. Human Error
   Often, human-related vulnerabilities are the biggest security issues. For example, an unwitting participant might accidentally download malware to their device. It’s important to provide staff training on IT security best practices in order to prevent breaches caused by human error.

Playing Defense

Give your team the training necessary to defend your organization from hackers with Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an 11-course program from IEEE. Produced and vetted by leading industry experts, this program will help your employees enhance their knowledge and stay current in the field of cyber security. Upon successful completion, they’ll receive valuable CEUs/PDHs that can be used to maintain professional licenses. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist for a quote today.

 

Resources

(19 Apr 2019). 9 Cyber Security Issues That Could Be Leaving Your Data Vulnerable To Attacks. Forbes.