Flair Data Systems participates in Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023- Secure Our World

We launched our Cybersecurity Advisory practice in 2021 to meet the needs of our customers and have expanded our offerings over the years, but marketplace education is a key priority for prevention. 

So why should we “Secure Our World”? 

According to CISA, “In recognition of the 20th year, CISA announced a new enduring cybersecurity awareness program, Secure Our World. Secure Our World reflects a new enduring message to be integrated across the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) awareness campaigns and programs and encourages all of us to take action each day to protect ourselves when online or using connected devices.” We embrace this mission by supporting our community through social media awareness posts, webinars, and helpful cybersecurity tips, and events. If you missed our Cowgirls in Cybersecurity event, you missed out!  

Here are some of our top 5 cybersecurity awareness tips to keep you safe online: 

1. Use Strong Passwords- Passwords with at least 16 characters are hardest to break, and it is best Hard to use combination of random upper and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols. 1234password is not a good choice! 
2. Turn on MFA Authentication- MFA supplies extra security by supplying a secondary method confirming your identity when logging into accounts. MFA usually requires you to enter a code sent to your phone or email, or one generated by an authenticator app. It may feel like an inconvenience, but the added security is worth your time. 
3. Educate Yourself on the Types of Cyber Attacks and Report Suspicious Activity- There are many ways that cybercriminals can get access to your systems: Malware, Phishing, Man-in-the-Middle, Denial of Service, SQL Injection, DDNS Spoofing, Endpoint based attacks, and Ransomware. We could go on, and on. However, these attacks are always evolving. Enroll yourself in an educational program, like our partner Wiser offers, subscribe to cyber updates from known authorities like CISA, and or partner with a solutions integrator like Flair Data Systems to help you stay cyber secure.  
4. Keep Your Software up to Date- One of the easiest ways to protect accounts and data is to keep software and applications up to date. Updates are periodically released to fix software problems and supply security patches for known vulnerabilities in the marketplace. Don’t hit the “remind me later” button. Just click to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. 
5. Think Twice Before You Click- According to Forbes, “Phishing is one of the most prevalent types of cybercrimes with over 500 million phishing attacks reported in 2022, costing over $52,089,159 in the U.S. alone.” Think before you click on that link or file and invest in software that will monitor suspicious activity. You can’t afford the outcome if you do. 

As we wrap up Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we just want to remind you that Cybersecurity doesn’t have to be scary. It can be easy to adopt more secure habits and it may even provide some peace of mind that your online life is more secure.  Knowing these top 5 cybersecurity tips can help lessen your breach vulnerabilities. Don’t forget- Just one click on a corrupt link could let a hacker in.   

If you need a little advice on your cybersecurity strategy, schedule some time with a Flair Data Systems vCISO. We would love to help your organization protect your people and systems from cyberattacks. Just message us here: Contact a Flair Data Systems vCISO! 

About: Flair Data Systems is a strategically priced IT solutions company, serving clients in the U.S., with offices in Texas and Colorado. Now a technology industry leader, we began in 1916 as the Porter Burgess Company. Flair Data Systems is your Trusted Advisor for: Collaboration, Unified Communications, Networking, Cloud, Infrastructure, Data Analytics, and Cybersecurity, serving the U.S. 

About the Author: Emily Bell-Wootten builds brands to make an IMPACT. Working with 60 brands across 17 industries has taught her to be agile and focus on human centered design, leading her companies to over 1 billion in growth. She has been a CEO, CMO, Fractional CMO, and a global CX and MarTech thought leader for 2 Fortune 100 companies, and currently serves as the Director of Marketing and Customer Success for Flair Data Systems. Outside of her career responsibilities, she is passionate about volunteering in her community to effect real change.

Flair Data Systems, Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Top 5 cybersecurity Awareness Tips