SECURE horizons
Benjamin Leitch, CXO Cyberconnections and Digital Content Manager, Intelligent Global Media
In this column, we’ ll be discussing key issues for CISOs and their teams – from AI to wellbeing and from Zero Trust to communication.
If you’ d like to get in touch, email ben. leitch @ intelligentglobalmedia. com
CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH: MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER?
Every October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month returns like a well-meaning reminder – a nudge for businesses and individuals to tighten their passwords, update their software and take digital threats seriously. But in 2025, the message feels different. It feels urgent. The past year has seen an unprecedented wave of high-profile cyberattacks that have brought global companies to a standstill. What once felt like isolated incidents now resemble a relentless tide, exposing just how fragile the modern digital world has become.
A year of disruption
The headlines have been relentless. In August, Jaguar Land Rover( JLR), a British automotive powerhouse, was forced to halt production after a cyberattack tore through its systems. Across the globe in Japan, drinks giant Asahi faced a similar fate. A cyber incident crippled logistics and order systems, forcing the brewer to halt production of its famous beverages. And in the UK retail sector, Marks & Spencer suffered a devastating blow earlier this year. A breach that began with a single compromised contractor account spiralled into weeks of operational chaos.
The perfect storm
So why is cybersecurity awareness more important now than ever before? Because the nature of the threat has fundamentally changed, and so has the world it targets.
The barriers to entry for cybercriminals have collapsed. Where once an attack required expert coding skills, today’ s criminals can buy or rent everything they need online.‘ Ransomware-as-a-Service’ packages offer pre-built attack tools, payment portals and even customer support. For the price of a weekend getaway, anyone can launch an enterprise-grade cyberassault.
Technology has also become more entangled in everyday life. Businesses rely on vast webs of suppliers, cloud providers and digital systems that blur the lines between internal and external. A single weakness in that web can pull an entire organisation offline. The M & S breach showed how one compromised helpdesk account could paralyse a national retailer; while JLR’ s experience demonstrated how connected manufacturing networks can turn a single infection into a company-wide shutdown.
At the same time, attacks are faster and more intelligent. Artificial Intelligence has supercharged the ability to craft convincing phishing messages, mimic employee voices and automate network intrusions. While defenders work to patch one hole, attackers are already exploiting the next. Awareness, not just at the technical level, but throughout the workforce, has become the first and last line of defence.
The human firewall
It’ s tempting to believe that technology alone can save us – that better firewalls, smarter software and faster updates will keep danger at bay. But the reality is more human. Every breach begins with a decision: a click on a suspicious link, an overlooked alert, an assumption that security is someone else’ s problem. Awareness turns those moments into opportunities to stop an attack before it begins.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is often seen as symbolic. A time for posters, training sessions and polite reminders about password hygiene. Now, it represents the recognition that digital safety depends on shared responsibility. From the factory floor to the boardroom, every individual plays a part.
As industries become more interconnected, the stakes rise together. A ransomware attack on a car manufacturer no longer just halts assembly lines; it affects suppliers, logistics companies, dealerships and customers. When a retailer’ s systems go down, entire supply chains tremble. Awareness, in this sense, is not just about personal vigilance, it’ s about collective resilience.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month arrives this year not as a reminder, but as a reckoning. In 2025, it is no longer just important, it is essential. Because in a digital landscape where everyone is a potential entry point, the only real defence begins with knowing and acting before it’ s too late.
WWW. INTELLIGENTCISO. COM 19