Cybersecurity Awareness: Essential steps towards solid cyberspace

Just under a month ago, the IT Ministry informed the Parliament that India witnessed over 7 Lakh cyber attacks in 2020 giving the country the reputation of being in the top three most cyber-attacked countries of the world. Radware, an Israeli cybersecurity firm, recently released a report that DDoS attacks were also on the rise in India which could mean very bad news for the flourishing IT backed startup ecosystem in the country making it susceptible to ransomware and cyber warfare.

With now even WFH (Work From Home) garnering acceptance for business operations and continuity, there is a need to be even more mindful of certain basic protocols one should pursue to shield oneself against such bad actors.

Customers should do for cybersecurity:

1. Have a good anti-virus subscription as it is a continuously improving system updating itself with improvements and added protection across devices.

2. Update their Apps regularly, especially the ones they use for transactions, as developers are constantly adding bug fixes and reducing vulnerabilities.

3. NOT open links sent to them from unknown sources and ALWAYS get customer care on the line whenever such suspicious messages are received.

4. Read messages requiring OTP carefully; scammers are betting on your non-attentiveness/fatigue to hack in.

5. NEVER give out your Credit Card, Bank A/c, Payment App details to anyone – avoid even giving it to your family.

Companies should do for cybersecurity:

1. Educate employees and customers regularly on preventive measures via their own platforms and through regular news/notifications.

2. Already have strong data security policies in place in 2020 – more imperative is the fact that said policies are effectively being adhered to at all times internally.

3. Ensure that they align with the prevailing regulations to always protect itself against any additional legal liability in case of a critical cyber-attack.

4. Update their software systems and, if possible, even sanction regular software systems of its vendors especially the ones that may be integrated into the company’s data infrastructure.

5. Facilitate a grievance redressal mechanism for customers who may have been defrauded.