Top tips is a weekly column where we highlight what’s trending in the tech world and list ways to explore these trends. This week we’re looking at three ways you can avoid falling victim to a vishing attack. Huge discounts, massive promotional campaigns, and a cheerful festive spirit—the holiday season is officially in full swing! ‘Tis the season of joy and giving, but it looks like some people may have missed the memo.

So, here’s the deal with AntiVirus software these days: It’s mostly playing catch-up with super-fast athletes — the malware guys. Traditional AV software is like old-school detectives who need a picture (or, in this case, a ‘signature’) of the bad guys to know who they’re chasing. The trouble is, these malware creators are quite sneaky — constantly changing their look and creating new disguises faster than AntiVirus can keep up with their photos.

In response to what Google calls “over trust” in the web address lock icon to indicate that a site is authentic and its’ communications are secure, they’ve swapped the lock out in an attempt to engage Chrome users in thinking about their own secure browsing. You may have not noticed it if you’ve updated to Google Chrome version 120, but the long-familiar lock icon is no longer.

If you’re reading this, a major part of your job is making the case for security-related issues that you know are urgent. You may be among the 97% of CISOs being asked to present to their boards — briefing them on new attack methods and recommending protective solutions. Or you might be a security admin preparing to relay that same information to your CISO. Either way, you’re on point to convince key stakeholders that.

As 2023 comes to a close, we aim to inspire excellence by highlighting our customers’ dedication to a more secure world. Thanks to you, we are honored to be (for the fourth consecutive year) recognized as a 2023 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Customers’ Choice. Let’s explore some of the stories that make this recognition possible.