Cybersecurity Month: experts guide on protection against attacks

October marks Cybersecurity Awareness Month, an international occasion that highlights the importance of digital security in a landscape of growing challenges. In Brazil, the urgency of this topic intensifies against a backdrop of declining knowledge and practices, as revealed by the 2025 National Privacy Test (NPT) study conducted by NordVPN. The research points to a decline in privacy awareness and digital risk management, with an increase in the proportion of users with limited preparedness, the so-called Cyber Tourists and Cyber Wanderers.

Given this scenario, experts emphasize that cybersecurity goes beyond technological tools, requiring a culture of awareness. “This month, it is important to reinforce that digital security is not just a technical topic, but a daily habit”," states cybersecurity expert and Executive Director of HexaDigital, Daniel Tieppo..

For users and companies, creating a cybersecurity culture involves adopting practical measures. The COO BugHunt, a Brazilian company pioneering Bug Bounty in Latin America, Bruno Telles and the co-founder & COO of ViperX, an offensive security startup belonging to the Dfense Group, Rodolfo Almeida, suggest using strong and unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and keeping systems updated. “Avoiding clicking on suspicious links and emails and using secure networks, such as corporate VPNs, are also recommendations”," analyzes Telles..

"For companies, access management and continuous employee awareness through training are strategic. Reporting incidents and avoiding the use of personal devices for corporate data complement these practices,", he/she/it comments" Almeida..

Cyber Culture

Organizational culture must place cybersecurity at the center of priorities, guiding the behavior of all employees towards protecting data and systems. This shift is fundamental, as a large portion of attacks originate from human errors during routine work activities, as pointed out by a recent study from the consultancy Gartner.

The future of digital security in Brazil, according to experts, will be shaped by the speed of adopting advanced technologies and by societal education. Tieppo projects the consolidation of artificial intelligence as a strategic pillar, provided it is accompanied by awareness. 

""We need a joint effort between the private sector, government, and education to create a resilient ecosystem. In the coming years, we will see AI consolidated as a strategic pillar, but its impact will only be full if accompanied by continuous awareness and training.", explains Tieppo.

Rodolfo Almeida foresees more automated and intelligent defenses, alongside greater regulation and incident reporting metrics, making security part of the business routine. Discipline in reducing exposure and protecting identities will be a competitive differentiator.

""Artificial intelligence already enables faster and more convincing attacks, from messages mimicking voices to fraud involving supply chains. In response, we will see increasingly automated and intelligent defenses, capable of anticipating patterns and signs of fraud."states Almeida..

As the expert from BugHunt, reinforces, building a safer digital future requires discipline, collaboration, and strategic vision. “Security is not a destination, but a continuous process. We need to cultivate daily protection habits, align efforts between companies, government, and society, and understand that every individual action contributes to a more resilient ecosystem."”, he concludes Telles..