October 2021 marks the 18th annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month, also known as CSAM. Originally launched by American Homeland Security and National Cyber Security Alliance, business owners are reminded to be on top of their cybersecurity management and become aware of the cyber security landscape.

This year, the theme is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” At Merlin Shredding, we believe that this message is all about owning up your responsibility to ensure digital security. We want our clients to reflect on questions like the following:

What procedures does each employee follow to ensure online security?
What digital security trends should we be aware of?
What kind of tools are at my disposal to help enforce security?
Who can I report to if I suspect there is or has been a cyber attack?

With more and more people relying on the internet during their day, it is important that we are wary of what dangers there are online.

According to the Canadian RCMP website, cyber crime laws are being updated constantly in order to follow the pace in which cyber capability develops. The page also reports that an estimated 5-10% of all cybercrimes and fraud are reported to police.

A survey from KPMG earlier this year showed that only two in five Canadian firms believed that they could fully fend off cyberattacks. Hartaj Nijjar, a KPMG partner, believes that “there is still a long way to go.” Nijjar also recommended that businesses focus on core security fundamentals, including vulnerability management, in the future.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month!

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