Internet Safety Month is an important annual observance that raises awareness about the critical need for online safety and security. With the growing dependence on the internet in our daily lives, it is essential to educate individuals, families, and organizations about the risks and best practices for staying safe online. Internet Safety Month serves as a reminder to protect personal information, use strong passwords, be cautious of phishing attempts, and practice responsible social media behavior. We heard from technology experts on how organizations should be thinking about digital security for their end users.
Eve Maler, CTO, ForgeRock
“Children today grow up in a world surrounded by connected devices and smart technology. Combined with the rise of social media apps and access to online services, there are evolving challenges to children’s data privacy, particularly as they can easily submit false information to access age-restricted content.
Given today’s regulatory environment and the decreasing tolerance for abusive or inappropriate online experiences for children, it’s fair to say that services that do not verify a user’s age are doing things very “wrong.” In light of Internet Safety Month, to better protect children, enterprises must balance knowing enough information about these users and knowing too much. They must also ensure that parents and guardians have the ability to consent to the right level of data sharing so that children are receiving the right kind of content.”
David Divitt, Senior Director of Fraud Prevention and Experience, Veriff
“The recent AI boom has provided a wealth of tools for businesses to predict methods of fraud and bolster their defenses – but they’re not the only ones who benefit. As much as businesses are now able to predict fraudulent behavior and adjust their approach to stopping it, fraud actors are likewise able to leverage AI to predict those predictions and stay ahead. Sophisticated fraudsters have already been using combative neural networks for some time to probe fraud prevention solutions for weaknesses. AI tools also allow for automated attacks en masse – and even if only a miniscule fraction of them work, that’s still a free victory for criminals that requires little to no effort. Companies cannot afford to let their fraud prevention tactics and solutions grow stale, and must regularly assess and update them using the latest AI tools to stay one step ahead – because that’s what the people trying to defraud them are doing.”
Anudeep Parhar, Chief Operating Officer, Entrust
“As hybrid work becomes the new normal, and consumers increase digital interactions – from online shopping to paying their bills – we all face an even greater risk of cyber threats and fraud. Today, many of the current security solutions for identity management are no longer effective. In fact, 51% of consumers are resetting a password at least once a month simply because they can’t remember it.
Just like enterprises, consumers need to make cybersecurity a top priority for their families. Embrace a Zero Trust mindset at home – assume a bad actor is already in your system and consistently change your passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and even look to adopt single sign-on or passwordless login wherever possible.
Cybersecurity threats will continue to become more advanced, by preparing our systems and ensuring best practices, both at home and at the workplace, we can ensure safer internet interactions and limit damage from potential breaches.” ###