Cybersecurity is a growing problem many businesses face. Hackers are regularly upgrading their methods and techniques and are finding new and creative ways to gain access to private information. While technology may be the reason for these growing attacks, you should also take a closer look at the people. It takes more than just an experienced IT employee to build a strong and secure cyber presence.
Creating a Cyber Aware Company Culture
Once you get past the aspect of technology when it comes to cybercriminals, the next step is finding well trained and educated people to create a company initiative that places emphasis on communication and education within the workplace.
Cybersecurity Responsibility
The responsibilities of cybersecurity do not only rest on the IT personnel within a company. Instead, it should be a company-wide effort, and everyone from those in entry-level positions to those at the top of the chain should value cyber safety and make it their priority.
Training Staff
A few ways you can implement staff training regarding cybersecurity is by sending out emails, employee newsletters, posters, and hold meetings to discuss progress and steps to implement a plan. Training at least once per month is recommended to stay on top of cybersecurity and everything they should be aware of when it comes to hackers.
After these meetings, you should also test your employees to see if they are retaining this information. Simply put- hack them before the real-life hackers have the chance to.
To do this, you can create and send out a mock phishing email and see if anyone falls for the cyber attack even after the training and communication has been followed through. If people fail the test, you will know that your efforts will need to be redirected and more advanced training may be needed company-wide.
Understand Current Trends
It is also important to train and communicate with the staff regarding current trends in the cyber community. Email, for example, is one of the most common and popular outlets that hackers use to gain access to privileged information. They use the email accounts to breach the company’s networks.
Most of these emails contain malware that is embedded in an attachment in an email. Once the employee clicks on the attachment, the hacker may get access to your network and information.
Update Passwords
Next, you should make sure that all passwords being used are updated regularly and are strong and secure. Weak and stolen passwords account for a large percentage of hacking-related breaches in business.
Most of the time, employees aren’t even aware that weak passwords can be such a significant issue; therefore, training on the use of strong password structure and the reasoning as to why this should be done is important.
Finally, just have a plan in place that involves open communication with your staff, so you can train them and implement a strong plan to help ensure your cybersecurity. Communication is key.
