2020 was an intense year. 2020 put Cybersecurity tactics to the ultimate test. We had to change so many fundaments in the way we lived and worked that put our lives and offices in such volatile situations that tested our resilience in every way possible. This volatility fueled a boom of cybercrimes, and we witnessed record-breaking ransomware and phishing attacks. These attacks did not discriminate. They were prevalent in every single industry, including those who were not accustomed to receiving these attacks. Through our partner, ID Agent, we are spotlighting the top five cybersecurity trends of 2020 and their impact on today.

Internet browsers are typically a desire due to habit. Once you become comfortable with one, selecting another seems like an unfathomable choice. Chances are you are currently satisfied with Google Chrome and use it unquestionably. Up until recently, Chrome was by far the best and most intuitive choice. Fortunately, with some recent updates, Microsoft Edge is the new browser in town, and it appears to be showing Chrome some real competition. Let’s look at what each browser option offers and what option may be best for your browsing needs.

Microsoft held its annual Microsoft Ignite conference last month in a virtual setting. There was no lack of technology to put on this incredible event. A variety of Green Screens and a Keynote presented through virtual reality was what we witnessed, and all went off without a hitch. This year even though we could not be there in person, the conference was no less impressive. There were two common themes this year that focused on the Cloud and security. It is apparent that Microsoft is continuing to be a forward thinker in technology, and we were thrilled with the conference announcements.

We are nearing an entire year of living with a global pandemic. Some things now seem normal, and most have gotten accustomed to working and living with our new constraints. Although, even when things start to feel normal, we still have a great deal of uncertainty surrounding many processes. One of these uncertainties is the process of receiving unemployment or stimulus money. Because there is so much money to be applied for with such great urgency, cybercriminals are taking full advantage of this easy paycheck. These attempts are paying up to $20,000 per successful attempt. A payout this large urges the cybercriminals not to worry about the extra work and are cashing in on our identities. How will you stay safe?

As if we hadn't seen enough spam and phishing emails with the onset of COVID-19, it has gotten worse. Since the start of 2021, we have experienced an even more significant rise in spam/phishing emails. As we have discussed many times before, these emails can be quite tricky. We are all familiar with the phishing email that appears to be a friend or family member stranded in a foreign country. Although those attempts still make a great deal of money, today's scams are so much more sophisticated. Today, the phishing attacks genuinely appear to be your bank or Amazon requesting sensitive information. There are a few tried and true rules to help avoid these tricky scams.

As we near 2021, I hope you rejoice in the ending of a challenging year and eagerly step toward a year with more light and promise. We have seen significant advancements in technology throughout 2020 with the immediate need to change the way we live and work. In addition to the significant advances, we unfortunately have also seen cybercrimes spike. We are all thrilled to shed this current year and move past it, although we need to make sure we are stepping into 2021 educated and ready to take on the imminent threat of cybercrimes. Now is the time to ready ourselves to be educated, secure, and cyber-ready.

The question is not whether you should have multifactor authentication (MFA); instead, what type? MFA is utterly essential when it comes to your business and personal data security. In the world of multifactor authentication, not all avenues are created equal. Although having something is better than nothing, in this case, that is not the attitude that you should have concerning your security. In 2016, NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) proposed restricting the use of SMS or voice for MFA, and although they softened their approach, they still do not recommend this method of MFA. Microsoft recently began campaigning against using SMS or voice for MFA. Today we are going to look at why the big push and what avenue is best for MFA.