Whether you are a two-person team or a large corporation, it is critical that every employee is doing their part to keep the company safe from cyber-attacks. This means ensuring every employee has been educated on the fundamental aspects of security required to keep your data safe. Implementing the items below can help reduce the risk of a data breach.
Vulnerable passwords and sharing login credentials make up a significant number of data breaches. Employees should be regularly informed on how to select strong and cryptic passwords that are simultaneously easily remembered to avoid the need to write them down. All passwords should be changed on a regular basis. Therefore, it is helpful to set reminders requiring password changes consistently. Employees should also be warned against sharing credentials with others.
Fraudulent emails can be incredibly tricky and easily missed if they are not reviewed carefully. Employees should be instructed to analyze emails only open them if they pass the company antivirus program, is from someone they know and/or have received mail from in the past or is something they are expecting to receive. Once they feel the email is safe to open, they should look for any strange details, characters, or misspellings in the body of the email.
Data breaches can be a result of more than poor passwords and email phishing; therefore, employees should be able to recognize potential social engineering, phishing, and signs of other cybercrimes. This includes opening a link within an email or online unless they know the source, were expecting to receive it, and have accessed the URL for accuracy. Employees should also be educated on the risk of downloading and installing any unlicensed software, as it could contain malware. Last but certainly not least, employees should never leave devices unattended and should always log off devices when they are not in use to avoid misuse, or data breaches.
Overall, informing employees of the part they play and the responsibility they have to protect company data is key. Routine training and regular communication can help keep these things at the forefront of employees’ minds. For additional training resources, see the videos below.
Information Security Awareness Training for Employees
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGMG7AIKNRg
Tips to Help Employees Identify and Avoid Risks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0iLy8racHI
Identifying Email Threats
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGnWesNa1h0