Our puppy, Madigan, is a sweet, loving dog who is mostly obedient. She is, however, a puppy who needs boundaries – both figurative and literal. On the literal side, we use puppy gates to keep her in the rooms we want her in, and out of the rooms we don’t. It worked great for months, but when she grew and got smarter, she hopped the gate and had free range. Our system only worked until Madigan changed her approach. And now we need a better system (or training, but that’s a different story…).
Similarly, cyber threats have evolved, becoming more sophisticated and much more common. And broadband providers need to be aware of that evolution and be prepared for the new threats with a robust cybersecurity plan. No geography is safe. There is no company size that makes you immune. No industry is exempt, especially not critical infrastructure industries like broadband. So you need to protect your data and assets by taking cybersecurity seriously.
70% of cyber-attacks target small businesses. What’s more, 60% of small and medium businesses that are attacked will likely go out of business in six months. What does a smaller provider need to do to stay aware, alert, and safe? NTCA has some answers for you.
NTCA provides numerous resources for cyber education and awareness, such as the NTCA Cybersecurity Series as well as alerts from time to time on the latest vulnerabilities. We also advocate for our members, holding leadership roles on a variety of government and industry cybersecurity councils, and serving as the only representative of small broadband providers on several of these. We also offer an information-sharing product, CyberShare, and are heightening our awareness with a new campaign called #BeCyberwise. Please check out our resources, spread the word on social media that your company is #Cyberwise during the months of July and August and stay tuned for more during Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October.
Cyber risk affects us all. Don’t be lulled into thinking that puppy is contained!