As Cybersecurity Awareness Month wraps up, this episode brings you a brief yet insight-rich conversation with cybersecurity expert Francis West. Francis and Anurag Mohapatra dive into some of the most critical topics affecting organizations and individuals today—from advanced tactics used by cybercriminals to effective strategies for bolstering security.

Key Discussion Points:

• Emerging Cybersecurity Trends
  Anurag discusses recent insights from cybersecurity specialist Dan Fernandez, who highlights the increasing use of doxing with smart glasses, a tactic allowing attackers to rapidly gather personal information. Additional trends include rising thefts of mobile devices and a surge in scams targeting online marketplaces.

• Business Email Compromise (BEC) Attacks
  Francis details the alarming prevalence of BEC, where attackers impersonate high-ranking individuals to deceive employees into transferring funds. With impersonation attacks now comprising a vast majority of email-based cyber incidents, Francis demonstrates how attackers spoof domains and explains how easily trust can be exploited.

• Strengthening Email Security
  To counter impersonation, Francis outlines the importance of security measures like DMARC, DKIM, and SPF records. He also mentions a complimentary 14-day email security assessment to help organizations identify and address their vulnerabilities.

• Cybercrime Trends in the US and UK
  Anurag and Francis highlight specific threats in the US and UK, such as impersonation scams, online purchase scams, and romance scams. They stress the importance of raising awareness among both individuals and companies to combat these threats effectively.

• Episode Wrap-Up
  Francis and Anurag recap the key takeaways and explore potential avenues for future collaboration to address ongoing cybersecurity challenges.

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