In recent years we have had our doubts about European Cybersecurity Month because it would be a counterproductive initiative and give the impression that cybersecurity awareness is something that can be ticked off every year.

This year we are pleased that, after a ten-year campaign, European Cybersecurity Month finally gains a much more useful perspective on continuous learning. High time!

As with all types of training, it is not enough to complete training and exams once a year. Whether it’s maintaining a high level of cybersecurity awareness or being able to complete a marathon, you need to continue training throughout the year.

You have to train all year round.

Arno van den Hof, General Manager Junglemap Benelux

The themes of this year’s Cybersecurity Month – phishing and ransomware – are obviously very important. Phishing attacks are still the biggest threat factor and the ever-increasing cost of ransomware for companies across all industries is undoubtedly a clear example of this.

It is also clear that these issues need to be addressed from a people-oriented perspective. As cybercriminals increasingly use AI, the number of attacks will not only increase, but they will also become more sophisticated. An important tool to combat this is to strengthen your organization’s cybersecurity resilience by ensuring the level of cybersecurity awareness of all employees – all year round.

Phishing simulation is an important part of a comprehensive awareness strategy. However, we also see the trend of many providers concentrating exclusively on phishing simulation and offering it as a solution to raise awareness of cybersecurity. We believe this is the wrong approach. Solid cybersecurity resilience – in an ever-changing threat landscape – must be based on a cybersecurity culture based on openness and transparency, and this requires much more than just (an always important) phishing simulation.

Looking ahead, we see continued cybersecurity challenges for both private and public organizations, with an ever-increasing number of cyberattacks. What’s even more promising is that cybersecurity is a much higher priority for many companies than it was a few years ago. With the implementation of the NIS2 directive, we see 2024 as a year where more organizations realize that cybersecurity is no longer something they can tick off once a year to stay compliant. Instead, management needs to shift focus and find reliable methods that can increase awareness throughout the company – all year round.

We are pleased to take part in European Cybersecurity Month and wish everyone a happy and cybersafe New Year!

This is a contribution from Arno van den Hof, General Manager at Junglemap Benelux. Click Here to learn more about the company’s solutions.