October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. With security breaches up 67 percent in the past five years, protecting user data and privacy is a priority for businesses across every sector of the U.S. economy. As data continues to grow in size and value, cybercriminals will increase their efforts to access and steal sensitive information. In this week’s Tech At Work, learn how tech is working to protect user data and keep consumers and businesses safe.

PayPal Offers Tips on How to Protect User Information and Spot Phishing Emails

Scammers often use email as a means to compromise a user’s account and gain access to sensitive personal and financial information.  To prevent this, PayPal is providing tips and best practices to help consumers spot fake and compromising emails.  This includes recognizing generic, non-personalized email greetings, requests for sensitive information via email rather than the platform itself, invitations to update computer software, and other phishing attempts.  PayPal has a team dedicated to responding to and monitoring suspicious account activity.

Google Encourages Users to Perform a ‘Security Checkup’ to Strengthen Security

Google is encouraging users to better understand cybersecurity practices and implement additional levels of security measures to protect personal and sensitive information during Cybersecurity Awareness Month.  Google has built-in protections designed to identify malicious actors from attempting to access personal accounts.  To ensure further protection, Google is hoping users conduct a Security Checkup to strengthen their account.

CDW is Helping Organizations Manage Cybersecurity Protections and Close Potential Gaps

CDW is assisting a growing number of businesses with augmenting internal security resources by providing expert support and streamlined solutions.  CDW works with users to deploy managed detection and response (MDR) security enhancements, with a focus on businesses that may have less stringent security practices in place.  MDR combines a security platform with outsourced support, bringing disparate solutions into a single dashboard while also providing access to external expertise.

Amazon Announces Two New Cybersecurity Initiatives Aimed To Protect Organizations and Individuals

Amazon announced two new security initiatives that will help protect organizations and individuals from increasing cybersecurity threats.  Amazon is making public the cybersecurity training materials it developed to keep its employees and sensitive information safe from cyberattacks.  In addition, Amazon will offer AWS customers a free multi-factor authentication device designed to further secure their environments and protect their most sensitive assets from intrusions.

Box Announces New Capabilities to Combat Ransomware

Box announced new capabilities for Box Shield, the company’s flagship security control and intelligent threat detection solution, to help customers reduce the risk of ransomware by scanning files in near real-time as they are uploaded to Box.  The new capabilities leverage deep learning technology and external threat intelligence to analyze files and stop sophisticated malware before it causes business disruption.

Dell Introduces New Software and Solutions to Enhance Data Security

Nasdaq is Showcasing Champions Who Use Innovation to Safeguard Against Cyber-Attacks

Accenture Releases its Security Technology Vision 2021 Report

Cisco is Enabling a More Secure, Consistent, and Optimized Digital Experience Across Internet, Cloud, and SaaS

What’s New in Tech

CLEAR’s Health Pass Integrates with Apple’s Health App for Verifiable Proof of Vaccination on iPhone

CLEAR announced a partnership with Apple that allows iPhone users to securely share verifiable health records from the Apple Health app with CLEAR’s Health Pass — empowering users with greater access and control of their health information. With iOS 15, iPhone users who download and store verified COVID-19 vaccination records in the Health app are now able to securely share them for use on their Health Pass for seamless access to CLEAR’s nationwide network of Health Pass partner locations.

What We’re Saying

TechNet Statement on the Senate Judiciary Hearing on the Nomination of Jonathan Kanter for Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust

TechNet Statement on the Senate Commerce Committee’s Data Security Hearing

TechNet Job Openings

Director of Digital Content — Washington, D.C.

Federal Policy Manager — Washington, D.C.

State Policy Coordinator — Austin, TX or Washington, D.C.

Before You Start Your Weekend

Since 2015, Verizon Innovative Learning’s Young Men of Color program has provided students from under-resourced middle schools nationwide with extracurricular STEM enrichment project-based learning experiences. The program is inclusive and welcomes all genders and nonbinary youth. See how one student went from liking STEM to majoring in computer science.