Why are we still talking about cybersecurity basics after all these years?

As we mark the 21st year of Annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s striking how the core messages haven’t changed much. The same key themes have been repeated year after year: use strong passwords and a password manager, enable multifactor authentication (MFA), recognize and report phishing, and keep your software updated. These are basic security measures, yet they remain as critical today as they were a decade ago. But this raises a crucial question: why, after all these years, are we still having to remind everyone to follow these foundational security practices?

In both our personal and professional lives, I believe the reason is clear - we’re all moving too fast.

We live in an era where efficiency, speed, and multitasking are prized above all else. Whether it's rushing to meet deadlines or trying to manage the constant flow of emails and alerts, the rapid pace of modern life often means that we neglect to do the simple things that keep us secure. The four core themes of Cybersecurity Awareness Month - strong passwords, MFA, phishing awareness, and software updates - are relatively simple. However, they take time to implement and maintain, and that’s where many people stumble.

I was once told that “sometimes you need to slow down to speed up,” and this advice rings true when it comes to cybersecurity. Slowing down to prioritize basic security measures can ultimately save significant time and resources that would otherwise be spent recovering from avoidable breaches or attacks.

The importance of password managers and strong passwords

Consider password management. Most of us have accounts spread across multiple platforms - social media, work systems, financial services, and more. Each one of these accounts needs a strong, unique password to remain secure, but creating and remembering dozens of complex passwords is challenging, which is why so many people fall into the trap of using the same password across multiple accounts or choosing weak, easy-to-remember passwords.

Using a password manager simplifies this process by securely storing and generating strong, unique passwords for each account. While setting up and transitioning to a password manager takes a bit of initial effort, the long-term payoff is enormous. A single data breach involving a weak or reused password can have far-reaching consequences, and a password manager dramatically reduces this risk. Combined with MFA, this adds another layer of protection, ensuring that even if one password is compromised, attackers would still need that second factor to gain access.

Multifactor authentication: a simple but effective layer

Enabling multifactor authentication (MFA) is another step that takes only a few minutes but offers a significant boost in security. MFA ensures that even if a password is stolen, a hacker still can’t access your account without an additional form of verification, such as a code sent to your phone or an authentication app. Yet, so many people and organizations overlook this simple step, often because it seems inconvenient or unnecessary. However, in reality, MFA can prevent many of the most common attacks, making it a security measure well worth implementing.

Phishing: recognizing and reporting

Phishing attacks have become increasingly sophisticated, and with the rise of AI, phishing emails are harder than ever to spot. These attacks often play on our sense of urgency - an email that looks like it's from a trusted source urging immediate action, a fake invoice, or a warning about a missed deadline. The key to protecting yourself from phishing is to slow down and think critically about the emails you receive. Ask yourself: who is sending this, and why? Is it reasonable that this person would ask for this information? Taking just a few extra seconds to scrutinize the message could save you from a costly mistake.

Updating software: a simple but overlooked task

Finally, keeping your software up-to-date is one of the simplest yet most neglected aspects of cybersecurity. Updates often include patches for known vulnerabilities, so failing to install them leaves your system open to exploitation. Automating software updates wherever possible is a great way to ensure that your systems stay secure without needing constant attention. However, the instinct to delay updates, especially when we’re busy, is all too common. It’s one of those tasks that feels like a nuisance in the moment but is absolutely critical in the long run.

Slowing down to speed up

The irony of cybersecurity is that the faster we try to move, the more vulnerable we can become. If we take the time to implement these basic security measures - using a password manager, enabling MFA, recognizing phishing attempts, and keeping software updated - we ultimately go faster. We’ll spend less time dealing with the fallout from breaches, account compromises, and malware attacks that could have been easily prevented.

In an increasingly fast-paced digital world, sometimes we really do need to slow down to speed up. And when it comes to cybersecurity, that’s advice we all need to follow.

Dena Bauckman heads up Sectigo's Product Management & Product Marketing functions. As an accomplished product development strategist, she specializes in building innovative solutions and empowering teams to solve practical engineering challenges.