6 Organizations Working To Improve Cybersecurity

Groups Helping Defend Against Cyberattacks

Cybersecurity 101

Ways To Protect Yourself Online

• Use a different password for every website
• Download a password manager
• Pick complex passwords that are hard to crack
• Install antivirus software
• Avoid giving out credit card or social security info over email
• Employ a hardware firewall
• Install a browser extension that can stop ads from tracking you
• Don't download email attachments from unknown senders
• Use a web proxy server or a VPN
• Invest in a fingerprint reader
• Don't put personal details (like when you're going to be away from home) on social media sites
• Use a search engine that doesn't track your activity
• Run a search to see what information is online about you already

Analyzing The Impact Of A Worldwide Cyber Attack

In Depth

As technology continues to advance, so do the tools and methods that hackers use to steal sensitive information from individuals and corporations. From simple phishing scams to sophisticated cyber attacks, criminals can disrupt the lives of countless people around the world. In no particular order, here are some organizations working hard to protect others from cyber criminals.

First up, at #1, we have the National Cyber Security Alliance, a nonprofit that educates and empowers people with the information they need to keep themselves and their organizations, systems, and sensitive information safe and secure online. The organization's website features articles that cover the basics of online safety and provides users with a list of free tools that can be used to determine whether one's device is vulnerable to attacks.

Their CyberSecure My Business national program educates small and medium-sized businesses about identifying and understanding which assets others want and how to protect these from attackers. If you want to get involved, download, print, and distribute their tip sheets and other resources at your local community center or attend one of their events or webinars.

If you want to get involved, download, print, and distribute their tip sheets and other resources at your local community center or attend one of their events or webinars.

At #2 is ID Quantique, a company providing quantum-safe network encryption, secure quantum key generation and distribution solutions, and services to the financial industry, enterprises, and government organizations globally. It's also a leading provider of optical instrumentation products, most notably photon counters and related electronics, which are used in both commercial and research applications.

ID Quantique develops and commercializes Quantis, a family of hardware random number generators that exploit elementary quantum optical processes as a source of true randomness. Their technology protects sensitive data from brute force attacks while also being able to thwart more advanced quantum techniques, which can break standard encryption methods in a much shorter timeframe.

Next, at #3, is Cyberbit. Founded in 2015, it prepares people by adopting the same approach used in flight simulation, enabling them to detect, respond, and remediate a real-world cyberattack before it happens. The company does this by immersing teams in a hyper-realistic virtual environment, in which they can train in responding to simulated attacks.

Founded in 2015, it prepares people by adopting the same approach used in flight simulation, enabling them to detect, respond, and remediate a real-world cyberattack before it happens.

To allow teams to train whenever they like, Cyberbit's cloud range provides instant access to their training and simulation environment. Students can log into a cloud-based virtual security operations center and experience a wide range of simulated attacks, from basic to advanced training scenarios. The company's SOCathons provide teams with an opportunity to assess and improve their capabilities by competing with fellow incident response practitioners.

#4 is the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, an industry consortium dedicated to reducing cyber-risk in the global financial system. It leverages its intelligence platform, resiliency resources, and a peer-to-peer network of experts to anticipate, mitigate, and respond to threats. They offer their members a range of education and training programs designed to enhance sector resiliency and improve cybersecurity knowledge.

The organization holds summits and community events to enable its members to build stronger relationships with their peers and stay informed about cybersecurity and business resilience trends. Through its signature Expert Webinar Series, it also shares best practices from its global network of experts and practitioners from the financial sector.

The organization holds summits and community events to enable its members to build stronger relationships with their peers and stay informed about cybersecurity and business resilience trends.

Next up, at #5, we have the Advanced Cyber Security Center. Located at the MITRE Corporation in Bedford, Massachusetts, it's a non-profit organization committed to strengthening member cybersecurity defenses and preparing the region's response to large scale threats. Its members represent some of the most cyber mature organizations in Massachusetts across sectors, including State Street and Dell Technologies, as well as institutions of higher education like Harvard University.

Every year, it holds a conference where senior leaders from ACSC and the regional cyber community come together to shape the direction of their Collaborative Defense agenda. It also holds an annual Collaborative Defense Simulation Exercise in partnership with the DHS, which aims to enhance member security by building a capacity for collaboration, internally and externally, across organizations and between the public and private sectors.

Finally, at #6, is LookingGlass, a software company that helps organizations of all sizes protect themselves against targeted attacks. Their Strategic Intelligence Subscription Service provides security teams access to a digital library of actionable and relevant finished intelligence reports. They also offer Cyber Safety Awareness Training, which teaches employees to identify and become further aware of various threats, such as ransomware and phishing.

Their Strategic Intelligence Subscription Service provides security teams access to a digital library of actionable and relevant finished intelligence reports.

Among LookingGlass's offerings is the Aeonik Security Fabric, an intrusion detection and prevention system that provides comprehensive visibility and advanced threat response for enterprise networks. The company's On-Demand Investigation and Analysis team is a group of cyber intelligence analysts that conduct web-based searches, investigations, and other analyses to inform clients about emerging threats and impending attacks.