With an estimated 80 per cent of all cybersecurity breaches being caused by people – there’s never been a better time to ensure your employees are cybersecurity aware.
Here, we outline our top tips for businesses about how best to educate and engage employees about the importance of cyber-safety.
Make cybersecurity clear
The first step in helping employees to become better acquainted with cybersecurity is to ensure that the business is communicating a clear message. Organisations should avoid using technical jargon or buzzwords that may confuse employees and take care to highlight the actual severity of the threat posed by cybersecurity breaches. It is also important that employers create an environment where sharing is encouraged so that in the event of cyber-attack the risk can be identified and addressed as soon as possible.
Promote proper device usage
Educating employees about the importance of cybersecurity should include raising awareness of mobile devices as a gateway to your organisation’s network. It is important that staff understand the difference between personal and corporate uses of mobile devices and the risk posed by improper use. Businesses should also consider a device management and monitoring solution as a potential backup – but the responsibility for end-user security best practices should rest with employees.
Teach employees to spot suspicious activity
Many cybersecurity breaches occur because employees are unaware of the warning signs they should look out for. Employees should be encouraged to report suspicious activity such as the sudden appearance of new apps or programs on their devices, new extensions or tabs appearing in the browser or loss of control of the mouse or keyboard – even if these signs turn out to be a false alarm, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
Prioritise passwords
Passwords are an essential component of any cyber defence, meaning employees should be fully aware of their importance. Businesses should conduct periodic mandatory password changes and discourage the use of ‘universal passwords’. Additionally, employers should discuss with staff the rationale behind VPNs, multi-factor authentication, and other secure log-on processes, and why they are important despite their tendency to be time-consuming.
Encourage an ongoing cybersecurity conversation
The effects of a data breach can be devastating for businesses, meaning cybersecurity should be front of mind for all employees. Organisations should provide regular updates related to cybersecurity awareness and should ensure staff are kept up to date regarding any potential new threats or close calls.
At b4b Group we understand the importance of safeguarding your business from cyber-attack – that’s why we provide a range of specialist solutions including supporting business through the government backed Cyber Essentials certification process, designed to protect organisations of all sizes against a variety of threats.
Visit www.b4bgroup.ie/it/it-security-and-firewalls/ or call 028 9074 8844 to learn more.
