Your Employees are the Key to Your Cybersecurity Efforts

It’s a common practice many employees make every day without even thinking about it – people open an email from an unknown sender, or click on a mysterious link, or print out sensitive customer data and leave it on the printer tray. While these seemingly innocuous actions are commonplace, they can leave your network and data vulnerable.

Today, every business needs an IT security strategy to keep their network and sensitive data safe. Email filtering, keeping software updated, firewalls, and secured printers are all important elements. However, even with top-of-the-line software, and network monitoring in place, you might still be at risk by the biggest threat of all… your employees.

Chances are that they’re not malicious, or intentionally out to hurt the company, but the truth is – human error is the number one cause of the majority of cybercrimes against businesses.

Here are four ways your employees might be putting your business at risk.

1. Phishing and Link Scams – These scams are designed to trick your employees into providing valuable info. It often starts as a “legitimate” looking email asking for confidential information. Or your team might be prompted to download a piece of malware. Train your team to recognize the signs and never click a link or download a file from an unconfirmed source.
2. Social Engineering – Social engineering attempts to get your team to break normal protocols. For example, a cybercriminal may pretend to be a co-worker needing access to a secure file. To prevent these attacks, have clear security practices in place and never second-guess!
3. Unrestrained Online Browsing – The internet is necessary for business, but can be dangerous. Many browsers come with security against dangerous websites or ads, but the risk remains. Use web filtering to block employees from visiting known malicious sites.
4. Poor Password Hygiene – Educate your team to use password best practices. Start with the basics like how to create a secure password, never write down your passwords, and change them every month. If you’re afraid you’ll forget yours, use a secure password tool to safely store it.

Are you ready to learn more about keeping your business safe from cyber attack? Call us today and request a free security assessment. We’ll examine your current security strategy, uncover gaps in your approach and offer solutions to keep your business safe and secure!

 Learn about the latest threats and how you can protect your business from a cyber attack. Download our free guide Cybersecurity Threats: Is Your Business Ready?