It’s that time of year again. The nights are drawing in, the leaves are yellowing on the trees, and the summer is already becoming a mere memory. Oh, and it’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

This year’s theme, “Secure Our World,” encourages people to safeguard the digital assets that are instrumental to their personal and professional lives. It recognizes that, in an increasingly interconnected world, your data is subjected to more threats than ever before. Data security provides the foundation to safely operate in an increasing complex digital world.

The State of Data Security in 2024

However, not only individuals must protect their digital assets; organizations do, too. A host of threats continue to put enterprise data at risk. In fact, according to the 2024 Thales Data Threat Report, more than 80% of organizations reported at least one breach in the last year, while ransomware attacks grew more frequent, with 28% of organizations reported experiencing an attack in 2024, compared to 22% in 2023.

To make matters worse, geopolitical tensions are driving a dramatic increase in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. In its 2024 DDoS Threat Landscape Report, Imperva revealed a 111% increase in the attacks it mitigated from H1 2023 to 2024.

The modern internet’s interconnected nature also threatens data security. According to Imperva’s State of API Security in 2024 report, APIs—the rules allowing software applications to communicate with each other—now account for a staggering 71% of internet traffic. The result? An enormous, sprawling attack surface and significantly weakened data security.

It’s crucial to recognize that data breaches have enormous impacts on individuals, businesses, and society. Individuals risk identity theft, financial loss, and privacy violations. Businesses, particularly those in financial services, healthcare, and retail sectors, suffer from operational disruptions and financial penalties. On a broader level, data breaches can erode trust between consumers and companies, leading to societal implications such as a loss of confidence in digital services.

Key Strategies for Robust Data Security

So, how can individuals and organizations alike ensure robust data security? The answer is three-fold: data encryption, strong access controls, and application security.

Encrypting data at rest and in transit ensures that sensitive information remains secure even if stolen by cybercriminals. Encryption is critical to data security, rendering stolen data unreadable and unusable to unauthorized parties.

Robust access controls such as those listed by CISA in their Cybersecurity Awareness Month advice (multi-factor authentication and strong passwords) and more advanced techniques such as passwordless authentication and passkeys help limit potential exposure in case of compromised credentials or insider threats.

Application security products like Imperva’s automated solution help safeguard applications by protecting APIs and securing and mitigating the risks of attacks before they reach the end user.

The Human Element: Educating and Empowering Employees

But really, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is about the human element of security. Employees play an integral role in the security of their organization. Recognizing unusual behavior, identifying and reporting phishing scams, and following best practices like enabling MFA and using strong, unique passwords can significantly reduce the risk of their employer falling afoul of a data breach.

Incorporating employee training programs and ongoing education in an organization’s security strategy is crucial to ensuring data security. With the proper training, employees can be actively involved in a security program and positively contribute to their company’s security posture. However, this can only be achieved as part of a positive security culture that rewards and recognizes staff for following best practices and identifying potential threats. Remember: data protection is everyone’s responsibility.

Conclusion

There’s no better time of year than Cybersecurity Awareness Month to evaluate your data security practices. As threats to data security grow increasingly common, with attackers launching countless ransomware, DDoS, and API attacks daily, protecting data is more critical than ever. So, evaluate your systems, implement robust encryption, ensure strong access controls, and regularly update your security protocols.

Join the effort to “Secure Our World” by prioritizing data protection. Take action today to enhance your data security and create a safer digital landscape for broader society. Your commitment to cybersecurity is essential to protecting the world around you now and forever.

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