It’s 2020 and the start of a new decade. Technology has changed a lot since the beginning of the last decade. Inexpensive computer options like Raspberry Pi and Chromebook became available, the first iPad was released.

Computing also got a lot faster, the first 8 core processors were released, solid state drives became a lot more widespread, and graphic cards reached new heights for computer gamers shattering the previously achievable FPS (frames per second) and ushering in a new era of high-end gaming.

Every October National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCAM) is held to promote awareness of cybersecurity issues and allow government and other agencies to provide resources to the general public so they may be safer and more secure online.

The theme this year is Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT. and the focus will be on key areas including citizen privacy, consumer devices, and ecommerce security.

The common perception around cybersecurity is that IT departments are solely responsible for it. As such, it’s commonly considered a technical and administrative issue that employees play little or no part in. Unfortunately, its this perception that’s leaving so many businesses exposed to cyberattacks.

All software comes with a predefined life cycle, at the end of which developers will no longer provide support for it. Despite being released nine years ago, Windows 7 still powers around a third of all computers used in the workplace. When mainstream support for the operating system ended in 2009, Microsoft offered extended support for business users — but only until January 2020, so there's not much time left to upgrade.

In November 2018, global hotel chain Marriott disclosed one of the biggest data breaches of all time where the records of half a billion customers were stolen. The misappropriated data included personally identifiable information, payment card details, and passport numbers.

With businesses spending between 1.5 and 7.2 percent of their yearly revenues on technology, leaders are always looking for ways to improve cost efficiency and ensure the success of their digital transformation initiatives. But, with limited budgets and technical expertise being in short supply, it’s often a difficult task.

As the proverb goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. Now that businesses have become so reliant on modern technology, more hangs in the balance than ever before. Solutions such as cloud storage and automation offer better opportunities to secure your most valuable business asset — digital data.