Henry Has
Do you think that your company is safe from a cyberattack? You’re not alone. Statistics from Keeper Security show that that two-thirds of business leaders are confident they will not fall victim to a cyberattack. Despite this confidence, 67% of business leaders have experienced a cyberattack in the past year. To add to this, 18% of those surveyed view cybersecurity as low-priority for their companies, with only passwords as their front line of defense. Even though you may believe that you’re personally protected, working with a large number of employees means that your company is even more vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Here are some simple cybersecurity measures that your employees can take to protect themselves from harm:
Be Aware of Email Malware
You’ve probably already heard of email malware—it’s certainly not new. Email is a highly effective and dangerous means for spreading malware, with spam and phishing messages that trick employees into installing malicious software. This software can then steal important credentials or create backdoors that hackers can use to control the infected device. TechBeacon states that 94% of malware was delivered by email in 2018, most commonly concealed in Microsoft Office documents and Windows applications. That’s why it’s always important to double-check the legitimacy of the sender before opening emails, and be especially wary when clicking on any embedded links and downloads.
Strictly Monitor the Use of Mobile Devices
Although the computer network in your workplace may be secure, have you ever considered the fact that many employees use their personal devices on the job to get their work done? This is particularly risky because HP suggests that employees often don’t take security seriously when it comes to their smartphones in the same way that they do with their laptops or office computers. In addition, attackers are creating more malware specifically for mobile platforms, which can extract highly confidential data from employees’ smartphones. In order to prevent this from happening, it’s important to strictly enforce compliance rules and require detailed encryption for cellphones.
Don’t Forget About Physical Security
One aspect of cybersecurity that is often overlooked is the physical security of your network. How do you dispose of that barely-functioning company laptop or the computer that’s way past its prime? Security can be compromised when businesses fail to properly destroy old hard drives or leave their computers exposed. Entrepreneur recommends the following security protocols: “encrypt your drives, leverage cloud backups, enclose any hardware ports exposed to the public, have old hardware disposed of by professionals and use theft recovery software, such as Prey Project, on business devices.”
Be Wary of Sharing Personal Data Online
Last of all, cybersecurity awareness shouldn’t end when office hours are over. You’ve probably taken one of those quizzes on Facebook to find out which celebrity you most closely resemble. Sure it’s all fun and games at first, but did you know that these quizzes can build up a detailed personal profile on you? Wired presents some of the common security questions they ask such as the name of your pet, which is often used to recover your forgotten passwords. That’s why it’s important to be especially wary when it comes to disclosing any personal information on social media.
If you’re looking for some further reading, our very own Justas Markus has listed tips for figuring out if our smartphone has been compromised, including checking if the battery is draining quickly or taking longer to charge.
