Canadian Cyber Crime Becoming An Increasing Concern

Cyber criminal cartoon

CYBER CRIME BECOMING AN INCREASING CONCERN

Stats Canada undertook a Canadian Survey of Cyber Security Cybercrime for 2017. The research and surveys performed in this study produced statistics related to the global increase cybercrime.

Educational Services such as colleges and universities are becoming increasingly attacked by cybercrime. The survey produced results that indicate:

  • 64% of educational services (250+ employees) were impacted by cyber security incidents
  • 91% of cyber-attacks start from emails
  • Educational Services were impacted on average 4 times per year to steal personal or financial information
  • On average, 21% of educational services in Canada were impacted by a cyber security incident that affected operations, 41% on large education businesses, and 19% on small businesses
  • Canadian businesses spent $14 billion on cybersecurity in 2017

So, how can you help protect yourself and Algonquin College from becoming next year’s statistic? Understand the importance of the awareness and protection of sensitive information. Take the time to understand the location and protection of sensitive information. Don’t just worry about meeting compliance but think of best practices in security as the most important motivation behind securing sensitive information. Antimalware and encryption are highly recommended as best practices for information security. Consider encryption solutions beyond laptops and desktops, such as second-factor authentication solutions in support of cloud services.

Protect your personal information as well. Remember the importance of mobile security and take a few moments to put in place at least the following five (5) basic, common-sense security precautions with your computer, tablet and smartphone. (1) Use PINs and strong passphrases, and don’t share them; (2) install security software on ALL devices; (3) install remote recovery software on mobile platforms, (4) don’t click on suspicious emails or texts, and (5) backup your data frequently. Finally, don’t forget to peruse this InfoSec website for a lot more information on best practices.