Author: rescue@crimefire.in

Although %75 of all US and UK companies were exposed to cyber incidents in the past year, employees still hate cybersecurity training sessions. Considering most cyberattacks capitalize on human error, employee reluctance continues to play into the hands of malicious actors in the shadow of this avalanche of cyber attacks.
Despite the overwhelming belief of cyber executives that their organizations have a solid security culture, recent data gathered by email security expert Tessian suggests that these leaders may be deluding themselves, revealing an unsettling gap between security experts and the rest of the business.
While 85% of employees participate in cybersecurity training or awareness programs, “How Security Cultures Impact Employee Behaviour” research revealed that 64% do not pay full attention, and 36% find their organization’s cybersecurity training uninteresting. Do you know how businesses could utilize AI in security systems?
The survey found that security leaders generally agreed on the recipe of good security culture, but Tessian said it was evident that those at the top still had a lot of work to do, given the stubbornly high incident counts.
“Everyone in an organization needs to understand how their work helps keep their co-workers and company secure. To get people better engaged with the security needs of the business, education should be specific and actionable to an individual’s work,” said Kim Burton, Head of Trust and Compliance at Tessian.
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“It is the security team’s responsibility to create a culture of empathy and care. They should back up their education with tools and procedures that make secure practices easy to integrate into people’s everyday workflows. Secure practices should be seen as part of productivity. When people can trust that security teams have their best interest at heart, they can create true partnerships that strengthen security culture.” she added.
The study demonstrated how cybersecurity training exercises, which frequently consist of brief PowerPoint presentations created by legal and compliance professionals without a true grasp of how people interact with instructional materials, have no overall positive effect on employees.
For instance, only one in three respondents said they were satisfied with the communications from their IT or security team, and 30% of respondents said they didn’t think they had a personal role to play in keeping their company secure. Similarly, 45% of respondents didn’t know how to report a security incident or who to report it to.
Over half of those surveyed claimed that behaviors including downloading apps to work devices, transmitting private information to personal email addresses, exchanging passwords among coworkers, and connecting to open or public Wi-Fi networks on work devices are not caused concerns.
Over 40% of respondents said they didn’t see an issue with blatantly hazardous behaviors, such as reusing passwords, leaving business devices unattended or unlocked, downloading unsolicited attachments, or clicking links in emails from unfamiliar sources.
The leadership’s propensity to utilize cybersecurity training to spread fear and uncertainty as a motivation appeared to be a significant source of estrangement.
For instance, according to Tessian’s survey, 50% of participants reported having a “bad experience” with a phishing simulation, as shown by the 2021 account of a phishing test that went horribly wrong at West Midlands Trains.
Many others clicked on the link in what appeared to be an email from corporate leadership explaining a thank-you bonus for workers who had endured the pandemic, only to be reprimanded for not being vigilant enough about security. Officials from the union called the stunt “crass and reprehensible.”
Such strategies can “cripple employee decision-making, creative thought processes, and the speed and agility that businesses need to operate in today’s demanding world,” according to Marc Dupuis, assistant professor at the University of Washington Bothell, and Karen Renaud, chancellor’s fellow at the University of Strathclyde.
Tessian listed five actions security leaders should do to improve employee understanding of cybersecurity protocols.
For instance, security leaders must take a more active part in important touchpoints like onboarding, position or office changes, and offboarding during an employee’s “journey” with the company. According to Tessian, the onboarding of new employees offers a fantastic opportunity to grab people’s interest before they grow weary and bored, while more thorough and careful offboarding procedures can assist in preventing the loss of crucial data when a person departs.
Establishing open lines of communication throughout the entire organization and paying close attention to how much information is shared, who it comes from, via what channels, and how frequently are other things that any security leader should be doing.
Tessian provided four essential guidelines for accomplishing this successfully (page 28):
Finally, there are technology solutions that, when wisely implemented, can support the organization’s development of cyber “self-efficacy.”
Tessian’s research was created by OnePoll, which surveyed 2,000 US and UK-based employees, along with 500 IT security leaders.

The research we examined today revealed why some cybersecurity training and awareness initiatives are far from being effective. However, none of this changes the fact that cyber attacks can bring a company down. You can also check our guide explaining the best cybersecurity practices for staying safe against today’s digital perils.
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What’s on the horizon for cybersecurity in 2023? The landscape includes an acceleration of familiar and emerging trends, which means businesses should be ready to face an ever-changing environment where risk is inherent. In today’s cyber climate, no fish is too small for an attacker to try to hook. Thus, SMBs have more reason than ever to be proactive around security, as these key trends target an expanding attack surface and increased risks.
Cybercriminals continue efforts to steal credentials from users to gain access to networks. Historically, they’ve used email, but they are increasingly using social engineering. In the first half of 2022, around 70% of email attacks contained a credential phishing link.
Credential phishing and social engineering go hand in hand. The practice is direct and indirect. Lateral attacks, where hackers target one person to get to someone else, are increasing. If a cybercriminal can compromise one user, they can impersonate them to trick other users within the organization, or springboard to a related organization such as a partner or supplier.
These methods aren’t going away; in fact, they’re becoming more sophisticated. The countermeasure for organizations is multifactor authentication (MFA). Mandating this for admin accounts should be the minimum threshold, because of the privileges these accounts have.
But getting other users to adopt this has been difficult because it’s a poor user experience and one more burden. So, instead of burdening users with more steps and passwords to remember, a new approach is using passwordless authentication, wherein a code is sent to the device to perform authentication without requiring a password. This approach increases security and convenience, which are usually in conflict.
However, it’s not only email where phishing keeps dropping its bait. Attacks are now omnichannel.
Phishing has become omnichannel, mirroring and exploiting the technologies businesses use to communicate. These attacks cross channels, as hackers use phone calls, SMS, social media direct messages and chat. A targeted user could receive communication in one channel to start, followed by a flood of communication in other channels. These are attempts to trip up the user and project more authenticity.
Expanded channels of attacks call for a broadened umbrella of protection from email to cover all channels. Defending against social engineering is especially challenging because the messages don’t contain explicit threats (malicious links or attachments) until the final step of the attack.
As the level of risk from these attacks increases, SMBs may find it hard to retain cyber insurance, which is the next trend.
Cyber insurance is evolving in the new threat landscape. It has become more expensive and difficult to obtain or retain coverage. Increasingly, a prerequisite for coverage is for businesses to demonstrate that they have the appropriate level of protection. With no standard in the industry on what this is, companies may find it hard to meet this requirement.
To prove that an organization doesn’t present uninsurable risks, it needs to increase its technology base of security, ensure strong authentication is in place and provide certifications where available. If the business outsources IT, it will expect its provider to provide robust security. The type of certifications to look for in a cloud partner include ISO 27001 and SOC 1, 2 and 3, as well as industry-specific compliance, such as HIPAA support for healthcare-covered entities. If an organization can substantiate these things, it could see better coverage options.
In considering protection technologies that are well suited for reducing the security risk for SMBs, AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning (ML) are especially interesting and the next trend to consider.
AI has become a critical technology for improving many business processes. Its continuous learning model is especially relevant to changing security threats, which makes it more effective at reacting to the constantly changing threat landscape. As a result, it provides a continuous strengthened defense over time, identifying and protecting against evolving attacks. This technology is essential for detecting attacks that are outside of the range of previously experienced threats.
Traditional phishing attacks are broad attacks using a specific threat. Email filtering that looks for that threat can process and prevent attacks quickly. What it won’t catch are unique, customized phishing schemes deployed to a specific company or an individual in that company.
Hackers bypass email filtering by using social sites like LinkedIn to obtain employees’ names, which is easy to do, then sending socially engineered messages that don’t include telltale links or attachments. They then identify other employees and introduce phishing via email and other channels. It’s not a mass attack, so it’s less likely to be recognized by email filtering. AI can be beneficial in this scenario as it builds a picture of what is “normal” for a specific company to better detect unusual communications.
Again, this situation highlights that every user and company is attractive to hackers, who count on SMBs having weaker defense measures.
Using AI as a safety net should be on the priority list for small businesses. It’s now less expensive and more accessible. So, the barrier to obtaining it is much lower.
Zero-trust architecture modernizes traditional security models that operate on an outdated assumption that everything within the network is trustworthy. In this framework, as soon as a user enters a network, it can access anything and exfiltrate data.
Zero trust does away with implicit trust and applies continuous validation. Establishing zero-trust architecture in a network requires visibility and control over an environment’s traffic and users. Such a scope involves determining what’s encrypted, monitoring and verifying traffic and using MFA.
With zero-trust security, organizations review everything, standardize all security measures and create a baseline. As many companies go through their own digital transformations, we will see an increase in the adoption of this approach.
All these trends are interconnected and demonstrate that modern cyber-defense must be flexible and adjustable to meet new and evolving threats — as well as old threats. SMBs need security-centric partners for cloud hosting and applications to sustain their boundaries and reduce risk in the year ahead and beyond.
Alex Smith is VP of product management at Intermedia Cloud Communications.
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Chennai, Feb 20 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu Cyber Wing police are in the process of c
tracking down phishers who dupe gullible consumers by sending them false messages power cut if they don’t pay money immediately on receiving the messages.
While the number of people getting duped under such false messages has come down due to high-end awareness campaigns conducted across the state, police still receives four to six calls a week regarding the same.
The Tamil Nadu police had arrested two people from Haryana for duping people to the tune of Rs 3.3 lakhs but on interrogation, they admitted that they were not the bosses but working on orders received.
Cybercrime wing is now tracking down the masterminds in the operation of duping power consumers and will be traveling to some North Indian states to arrest the big players.
Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Company (Tangedco) has kept awareness boards in all its offices in full public display not to fall prey to such messages calling for people to pay the money immediately on receiving the message or the power supply would be cut. The message will have a phone number and those who call that number will be asked to pay 1 rupee to rectify the problem after downloading some application. If the consumer pays the amount, phishers will swindle the entire money in that account of the consumer.
Tangedco in their awareness boards has clearly mentioned that the department would not send such messages and people to be wary of such cheating in the name of paying bills Tangedco.
While the state power utility has conducted several awareness programmes against this and Cyber wing police also creating awareness through social media platforms, some consumers still fall prey to such cyber attacks and the state cyber wing is planning to curb this menace once and for all.
A senior officer with the Tamil Nadu Police Headquarters while speaking to IANS said, “Once we arrest the kingpin of this gang, the phishing process will stop in Tamil Nadu for the time being. But new gangs will surface and it is for the people to be aware of such cheating and not fall prey to these gangs. However, complaints on phishing have come down largely but still, there is a group of people who are not aware of money being lost in such a manner.”
 
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Topics
Social Media | Cyber crimes | cyber security
IANS  |  New Delhi 
Last Updated at February 19, 2023 16:19 IST
https://mybs.in/2cCPo7U

Forget Jamtara that has kept on inspiring cyber thugs to steal your data or money via traditional, OTP-based methods to date. Brace yourself for a new age of hacking via artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools.
 
 
A new crop of con artists is now thriving that is utilising newer means — from social media platforms to UPI-based frauds and from operating fake gambling websites to now working on AI chatbot ChatGPT — to rob you of your hard-earned money.
A woman was duped of Rs 27 lakh last week by a woman fraudster who promised her handsome returns on investment in digital marketing on WhatsApp.
"The task was to like and subscribe to YouTube accounts," the victim said in the FIR.
The Delhi Police's Crime Branch last week busted a racket involved in forging documents including Aadhaar cards, PAN card, and driving license for obtaining SIM cards, opening bank accounts and taking loans.
On interrogation, police found that the con group used ordinary persons who don't have any ID documents for preparing these documents and further misusing them.
Cyber-security researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia has unearthed a new type of fraud online.
Every day from 5 p.m., several satta (gambling) websites start trending on Google, which offer quick money upon playing the satta that starts from as little as Rs 100 and goes into thousands.
"These websites start appearing in the evening and every website guarantees profits. These gambling websites are being run with tier 1 and 2 city names like Delhi Satta King, Disawar gali Satta, Shri Ganesh Chart, Satta King Delhi Bazar and more," Rajaharia told IANS.
Those who place satta, using various UPI payment platforms, get nothing in return as the winning prize always goes to people these websites had already selected.
"There are thousands of such fake gambling websites now operating in the country. They also have Telegram groups and each group has more than 25,000 members," said Rajaharia.
First captured by trendingbot.org, it is impossible to guess which website is real or which is fake and nearly 90 per cent people who place their money don't get anything.
"Satta owners announce the only number with the lowest targeted number to make maximum profit and there are hundreds of websites related to one satta market," Rajaharia explained.
In January, a Lucknow woman who had saved Rs 1 lakh for her daughter's surgery was duped by fraudsters who offered her prize money in a lucky draw. She said she paid the money through Google Pay app.
According to cyber experts, scammers operating high-yielding investing scams called "pig butchering" have found a way to compromise Google Play and Apple's App Store.
Pig butchering scams are those which involve fake websites, malicious advertising, and social engineering.
By adding fraudulent apps to official download platforms, scammers can gain a victim's trust easier, reports BleepingComputer.
According to Sophos researchers, scammers are targeting victims on Facebook or Tinder and convincing them to download the fraudulent apps and "invest" large sums of money in assets that appear to be real.
The fraudsters appear to target male users over Facebook and Tinder using women's profiles with stolen images from other social media accounts.
Sophos discovered malicious apps called "Ace Pro" and "MBM BitScan" on the Apple App Store, and "BitScan" on the Google Play Store.
The next big challenge for cyber authorities is to tackle ChatGPT-based cyber crimes.
Cyber criminals have already started using ChatGPT to create Telegram bots that can write malware and steal your data.
Currently, if you ask ChatGPT to write a phishing email impersonating a bank or create malware, it will not generate it.
However, hackers are working their way around ChatGPT's restrictions and there is an active chatter in the underground forums disclosing how to use OpenAI API to bypass ChatGPT's barriers and limitations.
"This is done mostly by creating Telegram bots that use the API. These bots are advertised in hacking forums to increase their exposure," according to CheckPoint Research (CPR).
The coming months will reveal further how hackers are using new-age techniques and AI-based tools to commit financial frauds.
The time is to minimise your digital footprints to stay away from the new breed of hackers, advise experts.
(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)
–IANS
na/bg
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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First Published: Sun, February 19 2023. 16:19 IST

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We have transformed into a digital society where most data is stored electronically. Unfortunately, the increase in accessible data has also led to an increase in cyber threats. With this shift, cybersecurity has become one of the fastest-growing industries within the information technology space for federal agencies. The Office of the Chief Information Officer is at the forefront of cybersecurity solutions for the Department of Labor and is constantly seeking the brightest talent to protect the data of America’s workers.
The cybersecurity field is booming. As of August 2022, there were over 700,000 open roles in cybersecurity in the United States and, according to  US Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, jobs for information security analysts are expected to grow 35% by 2031. It’s clear that cyber talent is in demand.
At the Department of Labor, we’re focused on promoting good jobs, and most cybersecurity positions meet the criteria for what we consider a good job under our Good Jobs Principles.  There are currently thousands of cybersecurity positions available in the federal government across a wide range of industries and fields, including security testing and assessment, cyber training, cyber privacy, and security operations centers.
While there are many open opportunities across the industry, OCIO frequently hires for the following roles:
IT specialist: Responsible for setting up, managing, and troubleshooting the technology systems that OCIO uses to maintain computer and software networks.
IT project manager: Responsible for execution aspects of the project management lifecycle, including initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling the closeout process groups.
IT cybersecurity specialist: Responsible for conducting vulnerability scans and identifying and remediating system vulnerabilities in an effort to maintain sound systems’ security posture.
Explore all of our open positions here.
In the future, the demand for cybersecurity will continue to grow across public and private organizations; there are two areas where we expect to see the greatest momentum. First is the shift from security compliance (process of ensuring systems comply with requirements and cyber standards), to risk management (likelihood of a threat exposing a vulnerability) and vulnerability management (process of managing vulnerabilities within a system).
Second, we will see cyber leaning on machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify and respond to threats faster and more efficiently. This will increase the demand for skill sets focused on monitoring and fine-tuning network security and mitigating vulnerabilities.
If you intend to join the cybersecurity industry of the future, there are a few ways you can set yourself apart.
Any candidate looking to stand out can invest in new skill sets. Penetration testing, also known as pen testing or ethical hacking, and application development security –  both of which are in high demand. Additionally, candidates searching for a career in cybersecurity should prioritize training and certification programs. Training and certifications like CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) and CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) can help candidates validate and develop cybersecurity skills to align their skills with positions.
Cybersecurity is undoubtedly one of the fastest-growing industries. If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding career path where you are protecting the American public, this is the industry for you. Now is a great time to see yourself in cyber and find an opportunity to make an impact.
Karl Hellmann is the deputy chief information security officer for OCIO at the Department of Labor. Follow OCIO on Twitter and LinkedIn.    
Are you interested in joining the OCIO Team? View available positions and apply today!
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Cyber attacks are becoming more prevalent; in fact, Accenture estimates that the number of incidents rose 31% between 2020 and 2021. As the number of attacks climbs, the industry becomes increasingly desperate for qualified cybersecurity professionals. In the U.S. there’s a massive talent gap—to the tune of 715,000 cybersecurity jobs left to be filled, an Emsi Burning Glass market report shows. 
While there are a plethora of open positions, there may not be enough qualified individuals to fill these jobs. Companies often require certain credentials, certifications, or other education requirements for high-level cybersecurity jobs. But top cybersecurity professionals agree that there are plenty of ways to break into the industry. 
“There are different archetypes of how people find their way into security,” Ryan LaSalle, head of Accenture Security’s North America practice, told Fortune in a recent interview. “Some of those continued education programs, certification programs, self-study programs, and even some of the master’s degrees, and online programs really help those folks make the pivot with some confidence.”
No matter the path you take to get there, pursuing cybersecurity positions do often pay off. Many cybersecurity jobs pay well over the six-figure mark, with some professionals earning $225,000 and more, according to research from Mondo, a recruiting firm for tech and creative companies.
“We often see that cybersecurity skills carry a significant salary premium in some cases on the order of $10,000, $15,000 or more” than other technical roles, Will Markow, vice president of applied research–talent at Emsi Burning Glass, previously told Fortune. 
ISC2, an organization that specializes in training and certifications for cybersecurity professionals, reported that 40% of cybersecurity workers had a master’s degree in the field in 2021. What’s important to recognize, however, is that ISC2 represents and helps very high-level professionals who are often studying to earn the most coveted certifications in the field. 
“Too many people are scared away from our field when they hear associations saying that you need a master’s degree or other qualifications that really aren’t required for most positions in our field,” Steve Morgan, founder of Cybersecurity Ventures, tells Fortune. “While some portion of cyber workers in highly technical positions or executive roles may have a master’s degree, that is not true for the bulk of people employed in our field.”
Of entry- and mid-level cybersecurity professionals, about 15% have a master’s degree in the field, several sources show. The figures from ISC2 most likely refer to senior-level positions at Fortune 500 companies, Morgan says.
While you don’t necessarily need a master’s degree in cybersecurity to make six figures, several experts agree that going to grad school can often help you earn a higher salary than a bachelor’s degree or other certifications alone. 
Master’s degree students in cybersecurity “have more demonstrated critical thinking experience from the written reports and oral presentations they have completed,” Nick Schneider, CEO of cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf, tells Fortune. “This is often because the master’s candidate may be able to skip an entry-level role and immediately go into a second-level position. But be aware, where you start does not dictate where you end.”
Education can also be substituted by additional work experience or relevant cybersecurity certifications, he adds. Plus, some cybersecurity jobs with the federal government require security clearances, which can increase compensation packages.
Completing cybersecurity certifications is also a promising way to work toward making a six-figure salary. Kayne McGladrey, IEEE senior member and cybersecurity strategist at Ascent Solutions, cites a cybersecurity workforce study by ISC2 that shows that certifications result in an average $33,000 more in annual salary. 
“Cybersecurity remains a clear path to a middle-class salary for people with a two-year degree, a relevant certification to overcome gatekeeping by HR departments, a desire to help protect one’s friends and community, and a willingness to continuously learn as part of a team,” he tells Fortune. 
Sven Dietrich, another IEEE member and professor at Hunter College, also points out that employers will often offer cybersecurity-focused training and certifications. Aside from hard technical skills, landing top-paying cybersecurity jobs also requires a number of soft skills. 
“A six-figure job in cybersecurity is likely to require a candidate that can lead and express themselves clearly in front of management, a team, or even customers,” Dietrich says. “For my team, I want to hire someone who has creative thinking in response to a challenge problem, can use sideways thinking to get to the solution, and has good team abilities to first follow, but also lead as necessary. Project management skills are another plus.”
Another thing to consider? Cybersecurity isn’t your average 9-5 job, Schneider says. It requires a “mission-oriented attitude,” and appeals to people “motivated with a higher calling.”
“Cybersecurity is an industry that is evolving at an exponential rate and requires a chameleon-like mindset to roll with the punches,” Schneider says. “Although a specific degree might be nice to have, the threat landscape is the wild west where hands-on, real-world experience is critical in defending against rising threats.”
See how the schools you’re considering fared in Fortune’s rankings of the best computer science programs, cybersecurity programs, psychology programs, public health programs, business analytics programs, data science programs, and part-time, executive, full-time, and online MBA programs.

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February 16, 2023
To The Eagle:
Cyber crime, is for the most part, tricking someone, or someone’s computer, into doing what the criminal wants it to do, without you knowing. I was a victim of that last week, and would like to let the community know, that they are here as well, or rather their intrusions are here. “They” could be anywhere in the world, connected in, to me, unknown ways of cyber space.
Do not do, as I did, call the number provided in the following account, of what happened. Working on the computer, all of a sudden, the screen is black, with a prominent message as follows: “Microsoft Security, Has Detected A Cyber Intrusion, On Your Computer. Call Microsoft Security For Help At: 877-657-1592.
I then proceeded to converse with said security, only to finally see the red flag, shut down computer and call to secure bank accounts, credit cards, Social Security, Equifax and anything else they may be able to get into.
Then contacted computer link NW in Cathlamet, who not only cleaned the infected computer but gave me a lot of helpful advice. Bonus of that, was it was free of charge, thanks to a grant from Washington State Commerce, through Computer Link NW, 360-795-5000, CLNW.com.
Beware.

Poul Toftemark
Rosburg

P.O. Box 368
Cathlamet, WA 98612
Ph: (360) 795-3391

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Last Updated: February 15, 2023, 09:02 IST
Have You Ever Been Doxxed? What Is Doxxing? | Cyber Crime | F.101Have You Ever Been Doxxed? What Is Doxxing? | Cyber Crime | F.101Doxxing is one of the most insidious forms of cybercrime. It is widespread too. But what is doxing though? Learn how you can beat it—-Doxxing| Cyber Crime| Cyber Security| insidious forms| Online data| Social Media Posts| invasion of privacy| privacy| Top Headlines| World News| Latest News | Firstpost

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Cyber incidents have surged among small businesses that often do not have the resources to defend against devastating attacks like ransomware. As a small business owner, you have likely come across security advice that is out of date or that does not help prevent the most common compromises. For example, odds are that you have heard advice to never shop online using a coffee shop’s wi-fi connection. While there was some truth to this fear a decade ago, that’s not how people and organizations are compromised today. The security landscape has changed, and our advice needs to evolve with it.
This advice is different.
Below, we offer an action plan informed by the way cyber-attacks actually happen. We break the tasks down by role, starting with the CEO. We then detail tasks for a Security Program Manager, and the Information Technology (IT) team. While following this advice is not a guarantee you will never have a security incident, it does lay the groundwork for building an effective security program.
Cybersecurity is about culture as much as it is about technology. Most organizations fall into the trap of thinking the IT team alone is responsible for security. As a result, they make common mistakes that increase the odds of a compromise. Culture cannot be delegated. CEOs play a critical role by performing the following tasks:
A note on MFA: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a layered approach to securing your online accounts and the data they contain. It’s the idea that you need more than a password to keep your data and accounts safe. When you enable MFA for your online services (like email), you provide a combination of two or more authenticators to verify your identity before the service grants you access. Common forms of MFA are SMS text messages sent to your phone, 6-digit codes generated on a smartphone application, push notifications sent to your phone, and physical security keys.
Using MFA protects your account more than just using a username and password. Users who enable MFA are MUCH less likely to get hacked. Why? Because even if one factor (like your password) becomes compromised, unauthorized users will be unable to meet the second authentication requirement ultimately stopping them from gaining access to your accounts.
The Security Program Manager will need to drive the elements of the security program, inform the CEO of progress and roadblocks, and make recommendations. These are the Security Program Manager’s most important tasks:
In addition to the advice here, we urge you to look at the information and toolkits available from our Cyber Essentials series to continue to mature your program.
The top tasks for the IT lead and staff include the following:
There are, of course, many other IT tasks that add to a good security program. While this list is not exhaustive it does contain the top actions you can take that addresses the most common attacks. 
When security experts give cybersecurity advice, they usually assume you are only willing to make small changes to your IT infrastructure. But what would you do if you could reshape your IT infrastructure? Some organizations have made more aggressive changes to their IT systems in order to reduce their “attack surface.” In some cases, they have been able to all but eliminate (YES, WE SAID ELIMINATE!) the possibility of falling victim to phishing attacks. Sound interesting? Keep reading!
One major improvement you can make is to eliminate all services that are hosted in your offices. We call these services “on premises” or “on-prem” services. Examples of on-prem services are mail and file storage in your office space. These systems require a great deal of skill to secure. They also require time to patch, to monitor, and to respond to potential security events. Few small businesses have the time and expertise to keep them secure.
While it’s not possible to categorically state that “the cloud is more secure,” we have seen repeatedly that organizations of all sizes cannot continuously handle the security and time commitments of running on-prem mail and file storage services. The solution is to migrate those services to secure cloud versions, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for enterprise email. These services are built and maintained using world-class engineering and security talent at an attractive price point. We urge all businesses with on-prem systems to migrate to secure cloud-based alternatives as soon as possible.
While all operating system vendors work to continuously improve the security of their products, two stand out as being “secure by design,” specifically, Chromebooks and iOS devices like iPads.
Some organizations have migrated some or all their staff to use Chromebooks and iPads. As a result, they have removed a great deal of “attack surface,” which in turn makes it much harder for attackers to get a foothold. Even if an attacker were able to find a foothold on those systems as part of a ransomware attack, the data primarily lives in a secure cloud service, reducing the severity of the attack.
Any form of MFA is better than no MFA. Any form of MFA (like SMS text messages, or authenticator codes) will raise the cost of attack and will reduce your risk. Having said that, the only widely available phishing resistant authentication is called “FIDO authentication.” When an attacker eventually tricks you into trying to log into their fake site to compromise your account, the FIDO protocol will block the attempt. FIDO is built into the browsers and smartphones you already use. We urge you to learn how FIDO resists phishing attacks.
The combination of a cloud-hosted email service, secure-by-default devices, and FIDO authentication will dramatically raise the cost for attackers and will dramatically reduce your risk. It’s worth considering.
In addition to those highlighted above, here are some additional resources available, at no cost, to help improve your cybersecurity.
Stopransomware.gov
As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating ransomware, CISA created StopRansomware.gov, a one-stop-shop of free resources for organizations of any size to protect themselves from becoming a victim of ransomware. If you have experienced a ransomware attack, we strongly recommend using the following checklist from our Ransomware Guide. 
Regional Support
Reach out to our Regional Team in your local area for tailored assistance.  Aligned to specific areas, the regions provide a range of cyber and physical services to support the security and resilience of critical infrastructure owners and operators and state, local, tribal, and territorial partners.
Free Cybersecurity Tools and Resources
CISA offers a list of free cybersecurity tools and services that serves as a living repository of cybersecurity services provided by CISA, widely used open-source tools, and free tools and services offered by private and public sector organizations across the cybersecurity community. 
Cybersecurity Evaluation Tool (CSET)
The Cybersecurity Evaluation Tool (CSET) is an open-source self-assessment tool designed for stakeholders to install on their endpoint device.  For those interested in using the tool or participating in CISA’s open-source community, visit https://github.com/cisagov/cset. To download the file, click https://cset-download.inl.gov/.
Risk Management Considerations
For businesses and organizations considering using a Managed Service Provider (MSP) for your security services, review CISA’s guidance on important risk management considerations.
Cloud Security
For businesses and organizations, considering using a Cloud Service Provider (CSP), review CISA’s guidance on cloud security.

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