Cybersecurity Awareness: Not Just for October

We’ve come to the end of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, sponsored by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). It’s been inspiring to see so many of our industry partners take this opportunity to educate their customers and employees. Let’s recap just a few examples of their leadership.

Spotting spooky scams with Stewart Title

In a nod to the real and imagined frights of October, our friends at Stewart Title took a fun approach to reminding us of the threats of wire fraud. Check out their article, Eerie Warnings to Heed: A List of Threats Lurking in Real Estate Transactions, for a great roundup of the dangers to look out for throughout the year.

Genady Vishnevetsky, CISO at Stewart Title, has also been driving great conversations through the industry-wide American Land Title Association (ALTA) Open Forum community on security topics such as the use of LinkedIn links in phishing emails. ALTA members can check it out here.

FNF fights fraud with a tip of the day

FNF has been leading the educational charge on the fraud topic for some time. The company was named a Champion Organization by the National Cybersecurity Alliance for the third year in a row. They really leaned in, with their A Tip a Day Keeps Threat Actors Away themed educational campaign. This is a great example of how micro habits can help us develop longer-term habits - whether you’re applying that to health and fitness, or, in this case, cybersecurity. Learn more about why FNF has focused so much on the topic from Michele Green, SVP of National Agency Operations. 

Partners provide proactive fraud education

The independent underwriters have also consistently incorporated this type of education into their agent resources. Investor’s Title educates on wire fraud throughout the year. They provide a comprehensive set of resources and have gone a step further in providing  training seminars throughout the month. Likewise, Title Resources Group also shares useful guidance with a page dedicated to wire fraud. Not to mention, Westcor, who shares key data points on this wire fraud prevention awareness page. CATIC provides an annual All Things Cybersecurity Report and other resources. And finally, Doma issued a blog on the latest fraud red flags. 

Make cybersecurity a daily habit in 2024

We can’t stop here with the end of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Like a fitness boot camp, these special programs are merely meant to help us start new habits that become more permanent. Staying healthy is a lifelong pursuit, and staying cybersecure is no different. 

Let’s take the great education and collaboration we’ve seen here in October 2023 into the coming months and beyond. I’m looking forward to our industry starting from an even stronger position by this time next year. Who is up for the challenge?

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