The cybersecurity industry has been booming in recent years, and organisations are starting to realise their importance in day-to-day operations. Gone are the days when security was overlooked and considered only for large organisations. Despite the rising cybersecurity awareness, many myths and misconceptions are circulating on the internet. So, in this blog, we will discuss and shed light on the six most common myths about the cybersecurity industry.
1 Only large organisations have a cybersecurity team – Contrary to popular belief, small and medium businesses are the ones that are targeted the most by hackers. Many SMEs believe that there’s nothing to lose if there is a data breach in their companies, but that’s quite the opposite. An article written by Cybercrime Magazine claimed that 60% of small companies get shut down due to a cyberattack within six months of opening.
2 Having strong passwords is enough – Well, this is a sluggish way to go about it. Setting solid passwords containing special characters is not the only protection you need because hackers use modern technology that can crack them in minutes. Two-factor authentication comes in very handy in such instances. It’s always recommended to have it on to add that extra layer of protection to your systems.
3 Only men can work in the cybersecurity industry – While the statistics prove this myth, it is far from the truth. Women make up 20% of the cybersecurity professionals, and while this may sound low, it is a positive change as it was 11% in 2013. Women usually face the imposter syndrome in this male-dominated field, but it is seen to be changing and evolving due to the rising awareness and opportunities
4 Cybersecurity professionals require a computer science degree – Despite what many people believe, you don’t necessarily require a computer science degree. Many professionals working in the infosec industry have undergraduate degrees in English, Business or even Sociology. Although having a computer degree will be helpful, it’s far from required as there are many different ways of acquiring knowledge outside of a traditional degree program.
5 Cyber threats come from external sources – While most third-party attacks do come from outside, internal sources also cause attacks or breaches from time to time. One such source involves mistakes made by staff. Sometimes, one of your employees might click on a phishing email that can get your system corrupted and cause a data breach. Therefore, you should not just consider external threats but also internal threats.
6 Anti-virus and Anti-malware are more than enough – Such software helps an organisation protect its assets, but technology alone can’t give you a fail-proof barrier. It is essential to have a proper cybersecurity plan in place that contains incident response plans, security policies, a framework, and cybersecurity awareness programs for employees to prevent falling prey to hackers.
For starters, try not to believe everything on the internet. Try to fact-check or research that said topic on your own and then come to a conclusion. If everyone makes an effort to be aware, there will be a significant decrease in data breaches and cyber-attacks. At the end of the day, our main goal would be to protect our organisation and its assets.