By Marleen Anderson
The first line of defense against security threats in your business is always going to be your front-end users: the people who have access to your files, information, and networks. All the precautions from technology, anti-virus software, and IT staff aren’t worth much if you have employees compromising your hard work because they don’t understand their role in keeping your company safe.
The good news is that with some basic education and information, you can turn your biggest threat into one of your greatest assets when it comes to online security.
Design a plan. Sit down with your IT and legal departments, and come up with a written policy that addresses where your potential threats are and how to address them. Chances are many of your threats are going to be related to user error and poor end-user security. Things like fishing, Internet pop-up viruses, and password strength may seem like common sense issues, but for people who don’t have IT training, they can be quite daunting subjects to understand.
Offer regular training. Explain to your employees their role in keeping your organization’s information secure and your networks safe. Don’t just send out reminder emails, make them attend quarterly lectures or show videos. Reinforcing the information regularly will help to instill the importance of online security rather than the one-time review and sign off of security policies with HR on hiring day, which is what most organizations do.
Make sure that employees understand that they play a vital role in protecting company information and give them information they need to make wise decisions about Internet use. Training should be an integral part of your onboarding process, and should continue to be part of any ongoing training.
Incident reporting procedures. Your employees should have a simple and accessible way to report any suspicious incidents or known violations. They should also know the signs and symptoms that a device is infected with a virus or other malicious software, be able to recognize pop-up virus scams, and know what to do if they encounter one of them. They also should be familiar with your anti-virus software so that they’re able to distinguish between a legitimate alert and a phishing scam, and they should know who to notify if such an incident does occur.
Passwords. One of the most obvious areas where employees can make a difference is by using safe and secure password procedures. By now we’ve all learned the tips for selecting a strong password, but there are other things to consider as well. As we digitize more and more of our lives, many people begin to resort to using a few easy-to-remember passwords for multiple accounts.
It is imperative that your employees select passwords that meet all of your security requirements, but are also unique to only their work profiles and accounts. Using the same password for work and home Internet use is dangerous; if someone were to capture one account, they may inadvertently gain access to business accounts and information. Make sure that your employees understand the importance of password strength and security.
Internet use. Internet access is both a blessing and a curse in today’s world. Yes, we have instant access to almost any information we might need, but at the same time, there are many dark corners of the Internet that we can stumble upon that may cause significant harm. Teach your employees to recognize suspicious emails or links, or those that come from unknown sources. Make sure that you have strict policies in place for appropriate Internet use and what is allowed on company networks.
Email use. Company accounts should only be used for company-related business. Employees should never use their company email for personal business, nor should they use the their work accounts for subscribing to lists or to register user accounts with non-required organizations. Employees should be taught how to recognize suspicious or unknown emails, and how to block or delete them. All emails should go through the company anti-virus screening before being opened as well.
Social engineering and phishing. Social engineering attacks are becoming more common within the business world. It’s become easy for would-be saboteurs to seek out information on employees within an organization, and them impersonate an employee and ask an inexperienced person to send or divulge protected information. Very few people would think twice about sending documents to a manager or supervisor if requested, so ensure that employees know how to recognize legitimate business communications, domains, and email extensions.
While this certainly isn’t a comprehensive list about online security, it’s a good start. Be certain to listen to your IT managers about new threats and how to combat them, and make it a priority to introduce new training to your employees as needed. Remember that your end-users are your primary points of contact to most threats to your system security, so some basic education can go a long way towards protecting your organization from digital threats.
To create a cybersecurity plan for your small business, please read: “Are You at Risk From a Cyber Attack? Here’s Why Your Business Needs a Cybersecurity Plan.”
About the Author
Post by: Marleen Anderson
Marleen Anderson is part of the team behind Saxons, an Australia-based company providing IT support services and IT training. Marleen is a technology addict and she has a huge interest in entrepreneurship.
Company: Company Saxons
Website: www.saxonsgroup.com.au
Connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.
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