In March 2021, the Commonwealth of Virginia enacted the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), a significant move towards enhancing the data privacy rights of Virginia residents. This act, effective from January 1, 2023, is the state’s principal consumer data protection law, and it’s crucial for businesses worldwide dealing with clients in Virginia to understand its implications.
The evolution of ransomware threats in 2023 has marked a significant escalation in their sophistication and impact. The 2023 State of Ransomware Report revealed that ransomware attacks have reached an all-time high, with the United States bearing a substantial 43% of these global attacks. Notably, France saw its ransomware attacks nearly double in just five months. The year 2023 saw a continuation of the upward trend in ransomware activities that began in 2022, with high-profile attacks targeting major corporations like Toyota and Boeing, exploiting vulnerabilities like Citrix Bleed (CVE-2023-4966).
In the digital age, small businesses must navigate a landscape filled with cyber threats. While large corporations have extensive resources to mitigate cyber risks, small businesses often operate with more limited budgets and IT expertise. However, cybersecurity is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.
Disasters are situations that every business hopes to avoid, but every business must prepare for them nevertheless. While many of us have worked through the pandemic by adapting to this particular disaster through the utilization of remote work, cloud collaboration, and video conferencing, this is but one of many such disaster scenarios businesses may confront as we move forward.
Many businesses tend to underestimate their cybersecurity risks, and as a result, make themselves appetizing targets for malicious hackers, malware and other problematic activity. Cybersecurity is a critical part of every business’ operational durability. Without attention to it, an attack can be crippling. We recommend business owners and managers view cybersecurity as an investment, rather than a sunk cost, as it pays in dividends of business continuity and resilience.