Cybersecurity careers are a buzzy topic lately, with more people needed and salaries competitive. How do you make yourself stand out in this field and find a career you both love and do well?

Meanwhile, when you’re not working you may very well be making a new streaming account to escape after a long day. The pandemic has changed our streaming habits — and we need to be sure that doesn’t increase our risk at home.

This month’s insights also include what an expert thinks are the most pressing worries in the field today, a primer on zero trust and more. Check out our top advice and news from June.

Quick Briefs: Top insights from June

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Zero trust or bust: What it is and why it matters to data security

Zero trust wraps around other digital defense efforts like a moat, protecting your valuable data inside. This piece is a top-level look at what zero trust is for and what use cases might call for it. For example, if you’re using a lot of remote employees or a lot of different access rights, zero trust can make your defenses simpler. After all, it assumes everyone is a potential threat.

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What’s behind rising ransomware costs?

It’s a vicious cycle: more and more companies are willing to pay million dollar ransoms to high-end threat actors. Then, these attackers see more potential for ill-gotten gains. The rising costs of ransomware come from this cycle. See why it’s often best not to pay a ransom if you’re targeted. Instead, we lay out the best ways to make sure ransomware attackers can’t get inside your systems far enough to launch an attack in the first place.

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Cybersecurity certifications: Take your career to the next level

Cybersecurity certifications can often boost a career faster than a degree, showing you know how to use your skills in the real world. Is a certification the right next step for your career? Our guide gives you a framework for exploring what you want out of your work in this field. In addition, take a look at which certifications are the most highly-respected and which organizations offer legitimate and practical certification programs.

Worth your while: In-depth coverage to sharpen your skills & tighten security

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Why a phishing attack is still profitable — And how to stop one

Attackers are dangling a lot of hooks and bait in the water. Phishing, a staple of internet scams since nearly the dawn of the internet itself, is still a popular and profitable angle for threat actors. In particular, they’re using spear-phishing to target executives. Learn how to educate employees on the signs of a phishing attack. In addition, see how protections like two-factor authentication can reduce the risk.

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Surge of new digital accounts during the pandemic leads to lingering security side effects

I don’t know about you, but I started watching some TV shows outside my usual fare during the pandemic. All that “Star Trek” was already on a service I subscribe to, so I didn’t need to create a new username and password. But a lot of people during the pandemic did, making the summer after a very long winter a good time to revisit your passwords. Do you use the same one on multiple services? And, how does this apply to the way employees log in to your organization?

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The hottest cybersecurity must-reads for the busy security practitioner

IBM prepared a variety of assessments and resources for cybersecurity practitioners looking to make structural changes. See step-by-step guides to finding out where you are on your cloud journey (and how to secure the cloud). Gain insights into what threat actors are thinking. And learn how to pass that information on to other members of your organization with authority.

June’s expert insight: 3 things that keep a top data security expert up at night 

Tony DeMichele runs database engineering and database audit and compliance for a Fortune 50 company, so he has to have a finger on the pulse of cybersecurity. What does he prioritize? What is he really worried about? He talked to us about data breaches, human error and moving data to the cloud. Take a look at his practical advice for dealing with today’s most pressing cybersecurity worries.

Want to keep up with today’s cybersecurity news and best practices? Watch this space for the Security Intelligence newsletter.