Let’s face it. Without our computers, most of us wouldn’t even be able to imagine how we’d get all of our work done. Computers and work nearly go hand in hand in today’s workplace. If not a traditional desktop computer, then many of us are relying on phones, tablets, laptops and other devices to get us through the day, help us remember all the minutiae that needs completing and keep us productive.
Unbeknownst to most, most of us are culprits of computer safety. Out of years of bad habits, we have made cyber hacking simple for criminals vying for data or access to our networks. While computers are the gateway for networking, getting things done, or even entertainment, they remain our biggest security risk.
Fortunately, bad habits don’t need to remain bad, especially when it comes to protecting your business network! Today I want to walk through 4 bad habits that have crippled businesses and left them victims of cyberattacks and data breaches.
According to cybersecurity experts, here are the biggest and most perpetual bad habits that keep putting your computers and network at risk of attack:
Browsing the web with JavaScript enabled on your browser by default—this may seem like small potatoes when you think about hackers trying to break through your network simply by searching for unpatched machines, but one of the easiest ways in which hackers can get into networks are by leading users astray to malicious websites.
By keeping JavaScript enabled may create dangerous situations for users that land on the wrong page by accident. JavaScript may cause some websites to actually disable your back button as soon as you land on a site, trapping a user on their malicious site. These JavaScript-enabled attacks may also change the functionality of your browser—turning off security settings and allowing for installation of malicious software, which may access your computer remotely. We recommend keep JavaScript turned off for safety and only enable if you really trust a site.
Relying on Adobe Acrobat default settings—Adobe normally comes preinstalled on computers at home or work. But if you aren’t regularly using this program, you may be putting your computer at risk.
The problem with Adobe Reader is that it contains certain vulnerabilities that may harm your machine. Since it integrates directly into Windows, there is a possibility that your machine could be infected even if you don’t open a pdf file. To make sure that Adobe doesn’t give hackers access on your machine? You must be persistently staying up-to-date with latest Adobe versions (and adjusting security settings vigilantly).
Assuming antivirus keeps you protected 100% of the time—this is a real hard habit to crack. Most of us (or at least some) grew up in a time where computer antivirus led to complete protection of your machine. Everything malicious went into quarantine and there was little need to do anything other than keep updating your antivirus software.
While even now, antivirus software may prove valuable in protecting your network, the problem is that many hackers are creating new variants of viruses or even new strains that have never been seen by antivirus and, thus, are left undetected. Keeping to the habit of just using antivirus to protect your network leaves you open for major security vulnerabilities and subsequent cyberattacks.
Not updating or patching machines—the majority of us never get around to updating ALL of our programs. There may be hundreds of security threats waiting for hackers to exploit on our systems.
Windows, Acrobat, Adobe Flash, Java, Apple are just a handful of the software on your machine that may give hackers backdoors onto your computer and your business’ network. Most IT support teams fail to keep a habit of actively update machines because patching is an unthankful job.
Rather, many IT guys prefer to get the gratification of fighting daily fires with user issues (most of the time they’re probably getting rewarded with a thanks or high five) rather than the unacknowledged, yet expected chore of patching machines on the network.
Most IT Support teams get in the habit of putting patches down lower on the priority list, while it should consistently be a number one priority.
Using wireless simply because it is broadcast—most of us don’t even give second thought to using the WiFi at the local Starbucks or coffee shop, airport, library, or book store. We simply have gotten in the habit of expecting internet wherever we go.
The problem with this is that wireless networks are easily penetrated. Passwords, credit cards and other sensitive information can be compromised really quickly over unsecured channels. Hackers aren’t just looking at your keystrokes, bank account info, but anything else they can find that may be valuable. They may be scraping your hard drives and searching for anything that can be monetized.
How can you get your business out of bad security habits?
Believe it or not, replacing bad habits with good might not be as hard as you think. Security habit-forming can be much easier than keeping to that summer diet. In fact, many of the habits you might need can be as easy as relying on adequate IT security and support.
