Businesses are big targets for hackers and cybercriminals; many don’t have strong – or any – security in place. In so many cases, hackers don’t need to use malicious code to get what they want. Instead, they rely on an often-unseen vulnerability: your own employees.
The #1 threat to any business’s IT security is its employees. Oftentimes, it stems from a lack of training. Employees may therefore overlook threats, clicking unverified links in e-mail or engaging with other scams. Most of the time, these actions are simple mistakes. These mistakes, however, can result in major costs to your business.
The most important thing you can do to mitigate risk is simple.
Establish Regular Cyber Security Training
Get everyone in your business trained on IT security. Wesley Simpson, the chief operating officer of (ISC) 2, an international cybersecurity certification group, suggests thinking about IT education as “people patching.” Just as you continually update your software and security, ongoing education serves to update, or “patch,” your employees. Simpson says, “If you don’t get your people patched continually, you’re always going to have vulnerabilities.”
Each one of your employees needs to understand that they – not just those higher up in your company – are responsible for keeping the cyber-health and wellbeing of your business protected. Most employees in the US never receive cybersecurity training, leading them to make simple mistakes. To name a common security oversight, your team could be using easy-to-deduce passwords to protect critical data. Having a hands-on, immersive training experience will eliminate these kinds of holes in your virtual line of defense.
At the heart of this solution is one well-known principle: if you see something, say something. Team vigilance is key when combating online threats; you and your team should feel empowered to report suspicious activity. For example, if an email looks suspect, double-check its validity with the sender in person. If an organization or business asks you to confirm sensitive information via email, pull their phone number from their official website and give them a call. And in any case, feel free to contact our team of IT professionals. We’re here to help.
