Business Cybersecurity: Ways To Educate Your Employees

The cybersecurity trend in 2020 is still to combat and be on top of cybersecurity challenges intensifying even at a time of the pandemic. Cyber offenders will always exploit any vulnerability, and these vulnerabilities have increased in this time of crisis.

It is why it is not enough to harden business cybersecurity. You also need to educate your employees on the best cybersecurity practices. A culture of online hygiene and cybersecurity is a critical defense layer that everyone must take part in.

If you run a multi-million dollar corporation or are just beginning to develop your business, you are at risk. Company owners may also believe that their companies are small enough for cybercriminals to consider. But then again, no one is immune from the risks of cyberattacks.

Often, regular employees have been the target of many cyber threats, beginning with a raw email. You might like to consider that some of the most massive attacks in history due to workforce fallacy. An employee was able to receive a phishing email, open it, and click the connection. It then spiraled to the many users, comprising all data involved.

Cybersecurity in the workforce is one of the most significant problems faced by large and small businesses. This pattern has persisted for a couple of years now. Cyberattacks are emerging more often than not, and the stakes are still rising.

 

Cybersecurity In Numbers

Current cybersecurity threats have taken everyone by surprise. Global headlines are hogging as the world increasingly evolves into a digital landscape. Moreover, customers and companies migrate online as a result of the recent pandemic. That has lead to more doors that have been prone to exploitation online. People who operate remotely also opened up new opportunities for offenders to attack. This scenario poses threats for both people and organizations. That involves health care companies working to control the epidemic.

 

Here are some of the cybersecurity figures you need to take notice of:

 

More Than $3.5 Billion Lost to Cyber Crime Globally in 2019

 

More than $3.5 billion was estimated lost due to cyber attacks in 2019 only. Figures show that companies and individuals have registered a total of 467,351 cybersecurity incidents. These are the cybersecurity figures of confirmed attacks and losses. This number does not include threats and casualties that have occurred in unreported risks.

 

73% of Survey Respondents Monitor Cybersecurity

 

73% of respondents confirmed that they monitor and track cybersecurity activities. Many experts hope that the figure would go up by 100 percent. Interestingly, people are now making an effort to monitor physical protection like antivirus periodically. Many organization ensures that their records and infrastructure are not compromised.

 

Cybersecurity Issues You Might Encounter

Technology continues to evolve. Many sectors, like the banking industry, undergoes digital transformation. Thus, the cybersecurity industry is continually shifting. Thus, it is changing as threats develop, and cybercriminals advance how they execute their attacks. People need to realize the importance of understanding the future cyber attacks. Having adequate knowledge of the common threat can help face any threats in the coming days.

 

1. BYOD Issues

Many businesses and schools have policies on Bring Your Own Computer (BYOD). This move offers accessibility and a money-saving initiative. BYOD is about encouraging people to use their devices for work or education. The downside to this is that system security can be more complicated. There is an increased risk of ransomware, bugs, data breaches, and other exploits. That is due to a lack of control over the device in question.

 

2. Phishing

 

Phishing does not display any signs of fading off in the cybersecurity scene. Experts calculate that one in every 99 emails is a phishing attack. Phishing emails dupe the recipient into giving credentials via an email. These are messages that looks like it’s from a reputable source. These days, phishing no longer confines to emails only. Gradually, fraudsters are sending text messages purporting to be from respectable businesses.

 

3. Increasing incidences of ransomware attacks

 

There has been a steady stream of ransomware attacks across 2019. It has targeted influential organizations such as government departments and colleges. Many healthcare facilities around the globe have been subjected to attacks. These attacks interrupt and destabilize processes. It even cripples specific organizations, preventing them from doing the job they need to do. Many expect that it will continue in 2020. Now, attacks are not limited to exploits in old networks. Weaknesses in cloud-based computing networks are now susceptible to attacks.

 

4. Human Fallacies

 

Automatic monitoring mechanisms do not live up to human error and incompetence. The human fallacy has been the primary cause of most data breaches. It may be a malicious act or just being careless, workers can sometimes become the weakest point.

 

How To Educate Your Employees About Cybersecurity Threats

 

Some of the most significant cybersecurity threats ever recorded in history are because of human error. That is why it is essential to educate your employees on cybersecurity importance. Here are some ways you can strengthen your fight with the help of your workforce and eliminate risks of cyberattacks.

 

1. Include Cybersecurity Rules During Onboarding

 

You must ensure that you provide the value and gravity of cyberattacks to your new workers. In this way, they will take your cybersecurity rules seriously. Since most of them are still transitioning to their new jobs and their new environment, cybersecurity is daunting. Some may only shrug it off if it’s not well reinforced. First experiences are everything, and cybersecurity is no different. If organizational protection is not part of your onboarding, it’s time to start integrating it. Make it a part of the training phase right from the start. Password defense, phishing, and social engineering attacks — need to be tackled from day one. Most importantly, make sure you’re not only running over the guidelines. Discuss thoroughly why these best practices are so relevant.

 2. Train About Password Security

 

Best password practices are crucial building blocks for a sound business cybersecurity strategy. The trick is finally getting the squad to do so. It is also vital that you teach your workers to have the correct set of passwords. Additionally, it would not risk the protection of the whole team.

 

Passwords should be long enough. It should have several characters composed of upper, lower case, numerals, and symbols. First, passwords must include terms that cybercriminals cannot easily guess. These should not include names, addresses, birthdays, or even pet names. Second, a strong password should be unique and not shared through the workforce. Lastly, one of the best things you can do is to change complex passwords regularly.

 

3. Make It A Rule For Everybody

 

If you want to make your cyber protection drive efficient, make it mandatory for all. In terms of data protection, the non-exempt clause should also extend to all your staff.

 

They should be knowledgeable about why cybersecurity matters. Your workforce should know its value, whatever position of an employee is in your business. Anyone who has access to company-provided computers should practice secure internet surfing.

 

4. Identify Phishing Emails

 

Some of the most extraordinary attacks reported in history show that most of them because of human error. Many cybercriminals have made progress in carrying out their schemes. That has made attacks often challenging to track, particularly for regular employees.

 

Attackers can also make an attack look like a regular email. It can contain ordinary connections and web domains. Help your employees recognize and detect suspicious addresses. Show them how to identify a malicious looking email.

 

Search the email address of the author and validate it. Look out for any change to the email style, particularly if it comes from a frequent sender. Do not click on the connection right away without doing any review. It’s also a requirement that you still learn to search the attachment.

 

5. Do Not Omit The Use Of Antivirus And Firewall

 

Antivirus security program has become the predominant solution to malware threats. This program blocks ransomware and other dangerous viruses from entering your computer. It prevents attacks that could damage your sensitive data. Antivirus tools from reputable developers can help you with your business’ cybersecurity efforts. You can use one of the most recommended antivirus tools, Bitdefender Total Security, at the best price.

 

Second, it is also essential to use a firewall when defending the data from malicious attacks. A firewall helps to detect hackers, viruses, and other threats that exist over the internet. It determines which traffic is allowed to reach your computer. As a result of advancements, Mac OS X and Windows had their default firewalls installed. Your router must also have a firewall built-in to block attacks on your network.

 

6. Test Your Workforce

 

Check your employees’ cybersecurity skills daily. You can do this through the questionnaire and survey module. That will send you results in real-time. It can help you recognize any lapses in any skills and try to correct them.

 

Work with your IT department to create a scripted attack to see how your employees react. You will determine whether they will be able to withstand the attack. By doing this, results will show whether they will not recognize fake emails. You will be able to assess if they will leak confidential information about your business. This move will make you whether the training phases you did to reinforce your defenses are successful.

 

7. Implement Doing Regular Backups

 

No one may foresee an impending attack. If an attack occurs, the business can cause loss of valuable records. It is imperative to backup periodically to prevent this. Often ignored, this is a crucial step in maintaining online security.

 

Suppose you’ve been a victim of malware or ransomware, the only way to get your data back is to recover it with a backup. It is one of the best practices to backup records either on a physical site or on a server. Note that malicious attacks and hackers don’t necessarily try to steal your data. Often their primary target is to encrypt or remove your data.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Don’t wait until you get infiltrated by a cyber-attack before you take some care. It will not be straightforward at all, and it will take extra work from you and the rest of your team, but it will be worth it. Avoid wondering whether you’re going to encounter an assault or not. Instead, consider if you are ready should your experience any cyberattack today. Check if your defenses are strong enough to withstand against any threat.