Top Cyber Security Tips You Should Be Relaying to Employees

Cybersecurity Best Practices for Employees

Atlantic’s Top Cyber Security Tips

 

Every business needs IT security to keep their networks, users and data safe. Email filtering, firewalls, making sure software is updated and printers are secure are all important security measures. While we all expect to trust our internal network of employees, mistakes are inevitable. In fact, human error is one of the leading factors of IT problems in the workplace.  We’ll outline cybersecurity readiness and best practices for employees, so you and your company can stay safe.

Contact Us Today or Keep Reading!

 

Common Employee Cybersecurity Risk Factors 

 

 You can protect your organization and enhance cybersecurity with employee awareness training, which will teach each member of your staff to identify potential dangers to your network and help keep thieves at bay. While your employees may be your biggest asset, they can also put your business at great risk for theft or loss of data, with nearly 80 percent of breaches being caused by employee negligence.

Common employee cybersecurity risk factors include:

 

1. BYOD: Bring Your Own Device

The trend towards a mobile work environment allows for greater employee flexibility and can help your organization save money through increased productivity and a reduction in hardware costs. Unfortunately, employees who use their personal devices for work-related matters may expose your sensitive data and network to cybercriminals by failing to establish a secure connection, using weak password protection, or leaving their devices in plain view.

2. Phishing and Link Scams

Phishing scams are designed to trick your employees into providing valuable information. Often, it’s an email that appears to be from a legitimate source asking for confidential information. Or, they may be prompted to download a piece of software that is malicious. Train your team to recognize the signs, and never click on a link, or download a file from an unconfirmed source.

3. Social Engineering Attacks

The goal of a social engineering attempt is to get people to break normal security procedures. For example, a criminal might pretend to be a co-worker in need of access to a secure file. To prevent these types of attacks, make sure you have clear security procedures in place and never second-guess them.

4. Unrestrained Employee Web Browsing

The Internet is a necessary resource, but it can also be dangerous. Many browsers come with features to protect users from dangerous websites or ads, but the risk is still there. With web filtering, your employees can be blocked from visiting known malicious websites.

5. Unauthorized Information Sharing

Accidental sharing of data is common in the workplace whether due to employee error or lack of education. Training employees to be more vigilant with emails, attachments, document processing and more can reduce or eliminate these risks.

6. Malicious Intent 

Disgruntled employees, anyone looking for leverage with another company, or those who are being removed from their positions may opt to leak your information to a competitor.

7. Lack of Cybersecurity Training and Maintenance 

The last (but certainly not least) employee security threat is lack of employee training and software maintenance. If the necessary software is unavailable, hard to use, or poorly maintained, employees may seek the solution to their work-related issues from a less reliable source. This can then expose your business to malware, ransomware, and viruses.

 

---

Employee Cybersecurity Best Practices

 

There is no question that data theft is a genuine threat to every type and size of business, or that every measure should be taken to protect sensitive information from hackers and thieves. Are you doing all you can to detect these threats and prevent a data breach from occurring?

 

Here are crucial cybersecurity best practices for employees:

 

1.    Stay Aware of Unknown Emails

In an office setting, employees are constantly sending and receiving emails. This mundane activity may feel safe and secure, but in reality, a large majority of data breaches are caused by phishing attacks. Inform your team about the dangers of opening emails from unknown senders or clicking on suspicious links. One faulty click could result in your entire network being compromised.

2.    Update Hardware and Software

Opting out of computer and operating system upgrades will seriously hinder your organization’s cyber security – not to mention your productivity. With each system upgrade, new safety precautions are put into place. Just as the IT realm is consistently improving upon its security practices, hackers are also honing their strategies and exposing vulnerabilities. Failing to upgrade your business devices opens up the potential for hackers to pray on your outdated systems.

3.    Password Management Is Crucial for All Employees

This cyber security tip goes without saying, but employees should always be cognizant of their password privacy – especially in a work setting. Teach your employees password best practices that the basics like how to create a secure password, why they should never write passwords down, and the importance of changing them frequently. A password tool and Multi-Factor Authentication can store them safely, make sure they’re not forgotten and validate the employee is who they say they are when they attempt to login. The experts at Atlantic suggest that employers require their team to change passwords monthly. When you are dealing with highly sensitive data, it is wise to monitor and revise your security strategies consistently.

4.    Consistent Employee Cybersecurity Training

From the moment a company onboards employees, they should be versed in proper security protocol. Any team should be cognizant of this right from the start; just keep in mind that once initial training is over, your work doesn’t stop. Consistent training throughout a team member’s employment is key to ensuring the network remains safe. Frequently train and test employees on cyber security tactics.

5.    Rely on a Managed Services Provider

The best cyber security tip we have is to utilize a managed services provider, like Atlantic, With a managed IT service provider, any blip in your company’s security system will be promptly addressed, eliminating downtime in the workplace, and enhancing the productivity of your team. From employee awareness training, email security and backup and disaster recovery solutions, Atlantic is your one-stop-shop for cyber security solutions.

 

---

Benefits of Employee Awareness Training 

 

What is employee awareness training?

 

Employee awareness training is one of the most effective ways to protect your business from malicious actors and prevent possible breaches. A managed services provider can identify your team’s vulnerabilities with our exclusive stack of assessment tools including our Ransomware Simulator Tool, Email Exposure Check, USB Security Test and more.

Your team can deck its network out with the latest security tactics, but your efforts will only succeed if your entire team is on board. At Atlantic, we ensure our clients are not only protected but also in the know about the latest security protocols.

Ongoing education and security awareness training can help protect your organization, with benefits that include:

• Recognizing Security Risks. 

• • Employees are less likely to open suspicious attachments, download unauthorized software, or accidentally click links with proper training.

• Avoid Recovery Costs. 

• • The average ransomware attack can cost a company upwards of five million dollars in recovery and lost revenue.

• Elevate Security Posture

• • Reduce vulnerabilities within your organization by training employees to report suspicious activity, increase password strength, and ensure all communications are encrypted.

• Business Continuity. 

• • Up to 60 percent of small businesses never recover from a data breach. Maintain continuity and consumer confidence by training employees to spot security threats before data theft can occur.

• Remaining Compliant.

• • Satisfy regulatory compliance standards and prevent legal action or fines.

 

At Atlantic, we are long-time experts in the IT realm. Technology can streamline the processes of a business, and we are ready to help your team perform at its highest potential.

If your organization is falling short on any of the above cyber security tips, take the opportunity to reach out to an expert at Atlantic.

Contact Us Today