Get Ready for Cybersecurity Awareness Month
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. And the new “Rings of Power” series has recently begun airing. To merge both together, we saw it fitting to do some reflection on the great fantasy epic “Lord of the Rings,” and review three cybersecurity lessons we can learn from the wonderful tale.
If you are not familiar with the story of “Lord of the Rings,” that is OKAY! Keep reading as these lessons are still applicable with or without knowledge of the story. Consider reading the books or watching the films to experience the epic journey of Frodo and Sam, as they travel through middle-earth on the road to Mordor (the heart of where all of the evil resided).
1. “One Does Not Simply” Go to the Internet Unprotected
Okay, so you may have seen the “one does not simply” memes before. These come right from the character of Boromir when he originally says, “One does not simply walk into Mordor,” as the Fellowship of the Ring is deciding what to do next. While a humorous way to apply it to the internet, this is absolutely true!
As Frodo, Sam and the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring met to decide how they would journey though middle-earth to Mordor, it required preparation and forethought. They developed a team and had backup plans prior to leaving on their journey.
In the same way, the internet can be a place full of evil if we are not careful. Cybercriminals can be lurking around every corner waiting to hunt our data, just like the Orcs hunting Frodo, Sam and the Fellowship of the Ring. Additionally, we should consider backup plans of our most sensitive data we are protecting. Use extreme caution whenever engaging on the internet and keep in mind the following tips:
- Ensure all of your mobile devices/computers are properly updated
- Software updates often include security patches to keep your devices protected
- Only trust secure websites via “HTTPS” in the URL address (look for the “LOCK” symbol)
- Check out this short article covering online safety basics
2. Practice Good Cybersecurity and Privacy Habits BEFORE Things Go Wrong
“It’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish, as my old gaffer used to say.”
Sam says this to Frodo as they are mid-way through their journey to Mordor with the one ring. This quote is so popular that it has also been put onto posters, billboards, stamps and more.
This can speak to a variety of business and leadership principles; but in this case, I think we can apply it directly to cybersecurity. Often, we as individuals tend not to worry about cybersecurity best practices or precautionary measures until something happens. Especially because it usually takes a little extra time to implement effective cybersecurity.
For example, several years ago, you would have found me reusing the same password across just about every online account I had created. The password itself was very long and complex, so I really didn’t see any concerns. And it was so much faster to use the same password, and not having to remember or store a multitude of passwords for my many online accounts.
However, one day a cyber-criminal somehow hacked into one of my online accounts and subsequently was able to gain access to 15 other online accounts that shared that same password, including my personal Gmail account, social media accounts and even had attempted bank logins. I quickly realized how dangerous it was to have shared passwords across the accounts.
The lesson here: Don’t wait to take cybersecurity precautions seriously!
It takes less time to implement cybersecurity precautions ahead of time, than it does to fix issues afterwards if neglected. You will ultimately save yourself a lot of stress, frustration and worry by taking cybersecurity/privacy seriously now, rather than after something unideal occurs.
- Learn more about Password Safety and Tips here!
3. Security BY Design: Don’t Head Into Battle Alone
Regardless of who we are, there are times we may need some help. Getting input from others on our team, or even outside our team can broaden our perspective, reveal things we might have missed, bring fresh ideas and improve our outcomes.
In the “Two Towers,” the second film in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy– one of the greatest battles in fantasy history takes place. King Theoden would have been wise to bring in a fresh perspective and some additional muscle when he was facing the Oruk-Hai at Helms Deep. But instead of calling on Gondor for aid, he let his pride get in the way and nearly lost his kingdom.
When you’re mounting a big project, don’t head into battle alone. Call in aid, rally your troops, and charge ahead with cybersecurity in mind. Collaborating with cybersecurity right at the start is part of a core principle known as: Security BY Design. This ensures that hardware and software is built to be foundationally secure, right from the beginning.
Sometimes it’s easy to kick-start a project or initiative and save cybersecurity for the end of the process, but its way more effective, efficient, and secure to collaborate with cybersecurity at the start.
To continue celebrating October’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we encourage you to join us for a Blue Yonder LIVE session on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. MST for a special cybersecurity-focused session.
What: “Security BY Design: Boosting YOUR Cybersecurity Resilience”
When: Tuesday, Oct. 18 @ 1 p.m. MST
Description: Cybercriminals are continually targeting both individuals and organizations with complex, advanced attacks and humans are the target. In fact, ransomware is estimated to attack a business every 11 seconds! October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month so please join this special Blue Yonder Live session where hosts Nadia Hernandez and Corwin Tobias explore the best ways to defend ourselves against cybercriminals while boosting cybersecurity resilience both personally and professionally.
Additionally, if you want to learn more about Blue Yonder’s Cybersecurity program, Cybersecurity Awareness Month, or Cybersecurity in general, we recommend the following resources:
