Cybersecurity is a vital aspect of business. Cyberattacks happen in many different ways it can be some hacker forcing their way through a security wall or exploiting a piece of software, many cybersecurity breaches occur when employees inadvertently allow an attacker in. In most cases, the employee is oblivious of their part in the attack. Employees can be a company’s weakest link in cyber security and yet can also be the biggest asset. The best way to keep your company’s data safe is to teach your staff to avoid potentially risky behaviors and to know what to do in case of an attack.
Educate Employees on Data Security
If employees know how to recognize data threats, scams and other malicious cyber menaces, they are better employees. Ongoing cyber education helps to build a more responsible organization and gives employees the insight to know how to avoid potential security threats.
Consistent Training is Key
Cybersecurity training and information should be shared on a consistent basis. Monthly emails or videos are a great way to keep the training going. Occasional training, including informal trainings before shifts, can keep the awareness up without requiring you to subject your employees to long, tedious seminars about cyber security.
Additionally, keeping a line of communication open is important. Having a phone number that people can call with questions or if there’s an incident can reduce problems and improve response time.
Cyber Security is Everybody’s Responsibility
Making sure that everyone who has access to the company network is in on the cyber security training will help to ensure that each employee recognizes their responsibility. Everyone in the company is vulnerable, but everyone is also capable of improving cyber security as well, simply by being trained and vigilant.
With new cyber threats occurring on daily basis it is easy to lose sight of cyber security as a company goal. It is important that management reinforce consistently the message of data security and keep the employees vigil to threats. Employees should know and be made aware of the following.
Breach fatigue:
Breach fatigue is the slow cultural acceptance and normalization of data breaches. This isn’t surprising, given the almost daily news reports of new data breaches. Data breach fatigue is a real and dangerous problem because it could lead to your employees being less inclined to follow the right protocols. Luckily, there are steps you can take to fight breach fatigue. Work to change workplace attitudes around data security by frequently reminding employees about the potential dangers.
Passwords best practices:
Although having strong passwords is a relatively low-tech method of security, it is one of the most fundamental and practical ways to enhance cybersecurity. Unfortunately, this is also one of the least practiced security measures according to the Center for Internet Security.
The good news is that creating good passwords isn’t difficult and they can go a long way in securing your system. With a few quick guidelines, your employees can make sure their passwords are good enough to protect your business from the risk of a data breach.
Phishing:
Phishing is a malicious attack that tries to trick individuals into providing sensitive information like passwords or account details. These attacks usually come via email enticing you to click external links which contain malware. They can also occur via social media, text messaging and even through phone calls.
What makes phishing so dangerous is that most people don’t realize they’re being attacked. The large volume of messages sent usually leads to somebody getting caught.
Spear phishing:
Spear phishing is a more dangerous form of regular phishing because it targets a specific user. These emails use private information to pose as someone in your email list or as an organization you may be familiar with. This way they seem more trustworthy. To avoid these attacks, train your employees to always be suspicious of emails that ask you to click a link or provide specific information. Be aware of emails that have poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Ransomware:
Ransomware is a form of malware that blocks access to your computer or data until a ransom is paid. These types of attacks tend to make headlines for extracting billions of dollars from businesses. Department of Homeland Security reports an increase in ransomware attacks and notes that data recovery isn’t always guaranteed. The best ways to reduce your risk of ransomware attacks is to train your employees to recognize the signs of a ransomware attack such as files that won’t open, missing file extensions or lock screens.
Training employees on cybersecurity is essential in todays business world, according to The State of IT Security for 2019, found that email security training and employee training were heart of the problems faced by IT security professionals. Over 30% of the employees were not aware of what phishing or malware was according to survey done by Wombat Securities Technologies. According to the FBI June 14, 2016, Business Email Compromise has accounted for over $3 billion of loss.
Take the first step in protecting your business against cyber threats contact Customized Computer Services Inc. (CCSI), we work with our clients to develop protocols for best practice and educate their employees on possible cyber threats. CCSI has been serving the DFW area for 30 years.