What consumers need to hear most in Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Overseen in the US by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), Cybersecurity Awareness Month encourages the public and private sectors to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.

Under the current banner “secure our world”, CISA is spreading the word among consumers about how to be more secure at home, work, or school. There are tips about recognizing phishing scams, adopting stronger passwords, updating software, and using multifactor authentication.

Companies can also access a toolkit with tips, graphics, videos, and social media posts to share.

Massive breaches in 2024

Cybersecurity Awareness Month can’t come around soon enough, given the scale of data breaches recently. A gloomy first half to 2024 saw at least one billion records in the United States being stolen, estimates TechCrunch. It points to breaches impacting organizations in healthcare, finance, telecoms, and other sectors.

Meanwhile, ransomware attacks as well as data breaches focused on data theft and extortion have had a massive impact on businesses during the first half of 2024, reports CRN.

The CRN website notes that in previous years the public was often spared from the disruption of attacks – but this seems to be changing, with services impacted directly. CRN says this has raised questions about whether threat actors are intentionally targeting companies whose customers and patients would be severely affected.

What’s for certain though is that consumers are becoming more aware of the dangers – and the whole issue of data privacy and security is being taken more seriously.

Also, within today’s interconnected world, even seemingly minor issues can have a far-reaching impact. This was underlined by July’s tech outage when business, healthcare, technology, and government sectors came to a screeching halt in under 12 hours.

Data laws and concerns are growing

While the PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) enforces security controls around cardholder data, various other laws cover different types of data. Europe switched on the General Data Protection Regulation (GRPR) in 2018 to cover the use of people’s personal information. In the US, the shift has been more gradual – but it’s gathering pace.

By 2026, 19 states will have new data-related laws in force. Many other states have been discussing the issue too and – no doubt – the trend toward greater privacy legislation will only point one way. What’s more, there’s always the potential for a federal law to be introduced for a unified approach.

Meanwhile, tough new European Union regulations are coming into force that look set to impact a significant number of US, UK, and global companies. The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is a new EU legal framework for the financial sector.

As breaches occur and new laws are adopted, US consumers are becoming more conscious of the dangers they face personally.

This became clear just recently in Eckoh’s Hitting Home 2024 report on contact center security. Researchers identified deep discomfort among consumers who have to share personal information – from credit card details to social security numbers and passport data – with agents who are working at home.

In fact, 53% of consumers did not want to share their payment information or personal data with contact center agents who are working from home. And 78% of consumers want companies to be more open about the security measures in place to protect their data in such scenarios.

Being open about security

While Cybersecurity Awareness Month is doing many great things to help organizations and consumers stay safe, there’s more work required. Two decades since the initiative was launched in 2004, there’s also the opportunity for companies to make a cultural shift and become more open about the security they provide.

“Consumers are more savvy of the threats and what these could mean for them personally. They don’t simply want easy interactions across multiple channels – they also want to know that their data is absolutely secure,” says Shane Lewis, Group Head of Information Security, at Eckoh.

“The best way that contact centers can do this is by seizing the initiative, being more open about their security – and making it a positive point for their brand. With the right solutions, they can protect interactions no matter where agents are based. They can assure customers that the agent cannot see, hear, or record their personal information,” adds Shane.

“This is the positive message that people need to hear – and it can be a game-changer for today’s customers who are increasingly concerned about security.”

Because today’s customers interact in different ways, it’s vital for brands to ensure there’s robust data protection for every contact channel. Discover more about Eckoh’s customer engagement data security solutions.