The Top Business Cybersecurity Threat? Your Employees
Even with all the right cybersecurity layers in place, your organization is still vulnerable to an attack. The biggest reason for this? Your employees!
“95% of data breach incidents are caused by employee mistakes.”
Knowing this, we’ve put together a list of how to prevent attacks due to human error. By implementing these training elements, you’ll be able to reduce your risk of human-error-caused attacks.
IDENTIFYING A CYBER ATTACK
Phishing, malware, ransomware, and data breaches are among the common cyber attacks your employees should be aware of. Educate your employees on what to look for and train them not to open emails from unfamiliar addresses.
By helping your employees understand things like how phishing emails can appear to be from legitimate businesses — or even coworkers and supervisors — you could save your business from becoming the victim of a cyber attack.
Empower your employees with the knowledge to fight cyber threats. Cornerstone Technologies delivers engaging cybersecurity awareness training, equipping your team to identify and avoid risks. Contact us to learn more
RESPONDING TO A CYBER ATTACK
Instill in your employees that if they have doubts about the legitimacy of a message, they should contact the IT department or your organization’s cybersecurity service provider.
Having a cybersecurity response plan is a great way to ensure your organization has the proper documentation if a cyber attack does occur and how to handle it.
*If you believe that your organization has been the target of a cyber-attack, we recommend contacting your IT department/partner, insurance company, and legal team to determine the next steps for your business. You can also file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
PASSWORD STANDARDS
To keep your organization secure you’ll need to set clear guidelines for passwords, such as requiring a combination of numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and symbols. You can also require that new passwords not be the same as old passwords.
It is also recommended to utilize a password manager to generate more complex passwords to increase your security.
Additionally, requiring multi-factor authentication (MFA) is essential to making it more difficult for unauthorized entities to access your network.
REMOTE ACCESS AND WI-FI POLICIES
As remote work continues to be a popular option for many organizations, the National Institute of Standards and Technology warns that organizations should assume that, “external facilities, networks, and devices contain hostile threats that will attempt to gain access to the organization’s data and resources.”
To keep your business safe, have remote employees use an enterprise VPN to keep your business safe. Require the use of endpoint protection software such as antivirus and anti-malware software on all devices. Discourage employees from using public Wi-Fi networks.
PERSONAL DEVICE POLICIES
Personal devices like laptops, tablets, and cell phones can pose a security risk if your employees don’t have proper training. Restrict the use of personal devices to access sensitive data. Also, consider requiring encryption and security measures on their devices if employees want to utilize them for work. And don’t forget about that external USB drive. Exercise extreme caution when allowing these to be used.
THE ULTIMATE EMPLOYEE CYBERSECURITY
TRAINING CHECKLIST
Reduce your risk of human-caused attacks by utilizing this comprehensive checklist to ensure you cover everything your employees need to know.
CORNERSTONE CAN HELP
Cornerstone Technologies is here to help keep your data safe and secure with the right layers of protection for your organization. We work on day-to-day security so you can focus on growing your business with peace of mind about your technology. Contact us today to find out how we can help keep your data and network safe!
