When we think of cybersecurity, we think of top training IT professionals who are working every day to stop huge data breaches from happening. While that’s true, we forget that cyber security can be simple – some of the best cybersecurity guards are right in the office. Employees are dealing with data, passwords, usernames, and secure customer information on a daily basis; they are the first in line to preventing cyber hacks and data breaches.
- Ensure Strong Passwords:
This is the simplest method of prevention yet the easiest way for systems to be hacked. Make sure staff members are creating complex passwords that are cryptic – no information that is related to personal information! This means no birthdays, names of family members, or schools. Password must be hard to guess and should contain elements such as numbers and symbols. If you have employees who prefer to write passwords down for memory, make sure they store it in a confidential place in the office.
- Prevent Phishing:
We’ve all had those weird emails in our inbox or spam that ask for secure information, or hack into your information once a link is clicked. This can be very detrimental for a company, especially since companies use an email database for employees. Phishing attacks cost organizations $4.5 billion globally in 2014 – 74 percent of employees affected by phishing attacks clicked on a link that either prompted the individual to reveal information or released malicious software. Train employees to carefully examine unfamiliar emails, and to hover over the link to check if the address in the URL is the same as the one in the email content.
- Know Company Technology Policies:
Always always routinely check to make sure employees are knowledgable of your company’s technology policies and regulations. Applications, games, and software downloaded to company computers run the risk of introducing malware and viruses. A good preventative measure is to block programs that fall outside the parameters of your technology policy.
Ensuring the safety of confidential information is key for a thriving organization.