
SIDECHAIN INSIGHTS
Welcome to 2025! We hope you enjoyed time with family and friends over the holiday period and like us, are entering the new year with achievable goals (anyone quit the gym already?) and a desire to grow your business while keeping your most important asset – your data – safe and secure.

QUICK TAKE
Have you heard about Generative AI? This is a category of artificial intelligence that takes data inputs and synthesizes new content based on patterns it has learned. While this technology can be used for positive applications, criminals are exploiting it to enhance the believability of their fraudulent activities. Read more here.
As we all know, there are many areas for hackers to attack businesses and many companies focus primarily on securing their applications and the data it contains but have you considered mobile communications and how secure they are with all of us exchanging data constantly? CISA has put together a best practices guide for Mobile Communications. Shore up all areas of data security, by taking a look here.
QUIZ

Let’s get back to basics as we move into a new year with new cybersecurity challenges constantly emerging. As a business owner, you understand the importance of cybersecurity, but you may not know where to begin. Let’s start with cybersecurity basics. Do you know how to help protect your files and devices from potential cyber attacks?
Test your understanding of cybersecurity basics by selecting the correct response for each question or statement. The first five people to send their correct answers to us here, will receive Sidechain swag!
1. Which of the following should you do to restrict access to your files and devices?
- Update your software once a year
- Share passwords only with colleagues you trust
- Have your employees access information via an open Wi-Fi network
- Use multi-factor authentication
2. Backing up important files offline, on an external hard drive or in the cloud, will help protect your business in the event of a cyber attack. True or False?
- True
- False
3. Which is the best answer for which people in a business should be responsible for cybersecurity?
- Business owners. They run the business, so they need to know cybersecurity basics and put them practice to reduce the risk of cyber attacks.
- IT specialists because they are in the best position to know about and promote cybersecurity within a business.
- Managers, because they are responsible for making sure that staff members are following the right practices.
- All staff members should know some cybersecurity basics to reduce the risk of cyber attacks.
4. Cyber criminals only target large companies. True or False?
- True
- False.
5. Which of the following is the best answer for how to secure your router?
- Change the default name and password of the router.
- Turn off the router’s remote management.
- Log out as the administrator once the router is set up.
- All of the above.
Keep scrolling to see if you got it right!
INDUSTRY TRENDS & NEWS
- On January 7th, the White House announced the launch of the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, a new cybersecurity safety label for internet-connected consumer devices. This label, which will appear on smart products sold in the United States later this year, such as home security cameras, TVs, internet-connected appliances, will help American consumers determine whether the devices they want to buy are safe to install in their homes.. Read more here.
- Hewlett Packard is investigating claims of a new breach by a hacker claiming they had stolen source code. The hackers are a group called IntelBroker who are notorious for breaching DC Health Link, the organization that administers the US House of Representatives members’ health care plans. HP has activated cybersecurity protocols and are investigating. Read more.
DATA ENCRYPTION DECODED

Emerging Cybersecurity risks for 2025
The landscape of cybersecurity threats is evolving at an unprecedented pace. I’ll be honest, it’s getting scary out there! As we look ahead to 2025, several trends indicate that organizations and individuals will face new and emerging risks that will challenge traditional security measures. Understanding these risks is crucial for preparation and response – as some say, hacks and security issues are more like “not if, but when, and how bad”. Whether you’re already using Ransomware or thinking of making the transition, Sidechain can assist you with their expertise. Read more here to discover what to look out for this year.
Did you know that Sidechain posts the latest Thales Release Notes on its website? Now, if you’re a customer of ours, then we manage any of these changes and bug fixes for you so you have nothing to worry. However, if you’re interested in reading our perspective on them and taking a little look at the behind the scenes work, we do on your behalf, take a look here.
DID YOU KNOW?

The answers to the quiz are:
- 4
- True
- 4
- 2
- 1
Remember the first 5 correct responses will win Sidechain swag!
- The U.S. employed approximately 1.24 million cybersecurity professionals between May 2023 and April 2024, an increase of 55% since 2010.
- The most sought-after cybersecurity certifications as of August 2024 are:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional: 74,228 openings requesting this credential
- CompTIA Security+: 69,906
- Certified Information Systems Auditor: 47,230
- Global Information Assurance Certification: 37,857
- Certified Information Security Manager: 36,162
- Certified Information Privacy Professional: 5,908