the Fraudian Slip Podcast: National Cyber Security Alliance – How to Protect Yourself or Your Business from a Cyberattack Event

The National Cyber Security Alliance talks with the Identity Theft Resource Center in the newest Fraudian Slip Podcast about what businesses and consumers can do to protect themselves from a cyberattack event 

• October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a time devoted to discussions about keeping consumers and businesses safe in the digital world from a cyberattack event. 
• This month we learned that cyberattacks have caused more data breaches in 2021 than in 2020. We also learned that we are fewer than 250 data breaches away from breaking the record in a single year.  
• The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) will release a new report that confirms that there is no quarter given by threat actors to small businesses, the companies that are least able to easily prevent or recover from a security breach, data breach or both. 
• The ITRC sat down with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) to discuss Cybersecurity Awareness Month and how businesses and consumers can protect themselves from cybercrimes. 
• You can learn more about cyberattack events, ways to protect yourself and other topics discussed in this podcast by visiting the ITRC’s website www.idtheftcenter.org.    
• If you think you are the victim of an identity crime, you can call the ITRC (888.400.5530) or live-chat on the company website to speak with an expert advisor. 

Below is a transcript of our podcast with special guest Zarmeena Waseem, Director of Cyber Education at the National Cyber Security Alliance 

Welcome to The Fraudian Slip, the Identity Theft Resource Center’s (ITRC) podcast, where we talk about all-things identity compromise, crime and fraud that impact people and businesses. Listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, SoundCloud, Audible, Amazon now.   

October is a very special month for both the ITRC and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the time of the year when we devote four weeks to discussions about how to keep organizations and individuals safe in the digital world from cyberattack events. 

As usual, real-world events keep reinforcing the need for all of us to be more cyber-savvy so we can be more cyber-secure. So far this month, we’ve learned that there have been more data breaches caused by cyberattacks this year than there were data breaches in 2020. We also learned that we are fewer than 250 data compromises away from breaking the all-time record for data breaches and exposures in a single year. 

Next week, the ITRC will release a new report that confirms what many small business owners and leaders already know: there is no quarter given by threat actors to small businesses, the companies that are least able to easily prevent or recover from a security breach, data breach or both. 

Joining us to talk about cyberattack events and how you can protect your business, your family, and yourself is the ITRC’s CEO Eva Velasquez and Zarmeena Waseem, Director of Cyber Education at the National Cyber Security Alliance. 

We talked with Zarmeena Waseem about the following: 

• NCSA & Cybersecurity Awareness Month 
• What actions businesses can take to prevent a ransomware attack 
• What actions businesses can take to prevent a phishing attack 
• What actions businesses can take to prevent a social engineering attack 
• The number one action businesses and consumers can take to protect themselves 

We talked with Eva Velasquez about the following: 

• What victims tell the ITRC today 
• What actions consumers can take to prevent a ransomware attack 
• What actions consumers can take to prevent a phishing attack 
• What actions consumers can take to prevent a social engineering attack 
• The number one action businesses and consumers can take to protect themselves 

You can learn more about cyberattack events and how to protect your personal privacy, as well as get help if you have been the victim of an identity crime by visiting the ITRC’s website www.idtheftcenter.org. You can learn more from the NCSA about how to be CyberSecure at www.staysafeonline.org.  

Be sure to join us next week for our Weekly Breach Breakdown podcast and next month for another episode of The Fraudian Slip.