Cybersecurity: It’s not a matter of ‘if,’ but ‘when’

What is coming and what are the best things to do ahead of time?

Cybersecurity genuinely affects all of us. Whether you are a private citizen, a business, or even the government, you and your organization are susceptible to significant damage should a bad actor succeed. Cybersecurity is so important for credit unions that the National Credit Union Administration has made it a top priority for exams.

Given recent geopolitical events, cyber-attacks have climbed to the top rung of threats. Nation-states have openly targeted the West. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity, and Infrastructure Security Agency recently issued two alerts addressing risks from Russian state-sponsored cyber threat actors highlighting malicious cyber incidents suffered by both public and private entities in Ukraine. The U.S. government has warned that our critical infrastructure is being targeted and to take measures to secure systems.

The National Credit Union Administration, along with CISA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Security Agency encourage credit unions of all sizes and their cybersecurity teams nationwide to adopt a heightened state of awareness and to conduct proactive threat hunting. Credit union leaders are urged to be aware of critical cyber risks and take immediate action to reduce the likelihood and impact of a potentially damaging attack.

 

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