Feedback from InfoSec experts on the UK government’s first-ever cybersecurity strategy

A reality in today’s interconnected society is that hackers have a variety of tools at their disposal to damage or, worse, steal personal information. And while technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) give us easy access to files and online ecosystems, they also carry pervasive risk. Apply that to one of the UK’s most integrated public networks – Westminster – and it should come as no surprise to see the government stepping up its cyber

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A reality in today’s interconnected society is that hackers have a variety of tools at their disposal to damage or, worse, steal personal information. And while technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) give us easy access to files and online ecosystems, they also carry pervasive risk. Apply that to one of the UK’s most comprehensive public networks – Westminster – and it should come as no surprise to see the government building up its cyber capabilities.

Effective cybersecurity assessment and monitoring, as well as methods for dealing with breaches quickly and efficiently, help keep sensitive information out of the reach of attackers. However, organizations need to educate and empower every employee to change the mindset towards cybersecurity and ensure that security is built in by design. There needs to be a better culture of education to help employees understand the cyber risks we all face every day. For example, hackers have become sophisticated enough to use IoT devices to obtain financial information, or in this case voter information, but we continue to use the same passwords across multiple devices.

Ultimately, people need to understand that cyberattacks are just another risk that needs to be mitigated and that technology is not a panacea. It is education and the resulting change in behavior that is essential to ensure the protection of data and IT systems.

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