According to the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations report, 68% of data breaches involved human error. Hackers are increasingly targeting employees in a variety of ways, including phishing campaigns, malware and ransomware attacks. It has never been more critical to safeguard your business and educate your workforce on the importance of cyber security best practices. This article will outline not only why this is such an important exercise, but also provide a host of actionable and useful tips for educating your employees and protecting your business.
Why is it important to educate your employees about cybersecurity?
Effective cybersecurity training and education is crucial in order to reduce the risk of data breaches, ransomware attacks, phishing attempts and any other type of malicious act.
With employees more commonly working from home in a post-COVID world, the risk has increased as people are working from all sorts of different locations and countries. It is important that they have been trained on cybersecurity best practices. There are a number of reasons why this is so important:
- Mitigation of human error: As previously mentioned, more often than not a data breach will involve a degree of human error. Cybersecurity training helps to reduce this somewhat.
- Prevention of financial losses: Malicious attacks can cause huge financial damage to an organization that can have lasting ramifications.
- Potential reputational damage: With an increasingly tech-savvy population, people have never been more cautious about their data, how it is stored and how it is used.
- Regulatory compliance: Depending on your industry, there may well be increased risks associated with a lack compliance in terms of data protection.
20 Cybersecurity Tips for Employees
Without further ado, here are 20 cyber security tips for employees that should serve as the cornerstone for any training or education plan that is designed to safeguard the business.
- Use strong passwords: The important of a strong password is well known, but many fall int the trap of using the same password across multiple accounts. While it makes sense to do so, as it can be difficult to remember all of your different passwords, there are a number of password management tools that can support. This allows you to store all of your strong, unique passwords in one place without having to remember them. These passwords should:
- Exceed 16 characters
- Contain a mix of letters, symbols and numbers
- Avoid sing recognizable words or proper nouns
- Never include Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): 2FA provides the user with an additional layer of security as it requires verification from multiple devices to successfully log in. This means that even if your password becomes compromised, unauthorized access to your account should still not be possible. It is always recommended to use 2FA for email, banking and pretty much any service that offers this. You can use trusted mobile phones, authenticator apps or secure tokens as the second “factor”. This significantly enhances overall cybersecurity.
- Recognize phishing attempts: Phishing attacks are commonplace in a regular work day now. Many of us have become experts at spotting anything fishy about deceptive inbound emails. However, for those less well versed, the SLAM method can be a useful way to double check the legitimacy of communication. This acronym works as follows:
- Sender: Verify the sender’s email address.
- Links: Hover over links to check the destination link before clicking on it.
- Attachments: Do not open any attachments that you were not already expecting to receive, or those from an unknown sender.
- Message: Always ensure that you analyze the message for bad grammar or misspellings, which are often a giveaway.
- Secure personal devices: Every device that is used for work purposes should be installed with appropriate security software, using firewalls and strong passwords to ensure that the device is secure. This goes for any device that an employee may conduct work-related activities on.
- Regularly update software: Ensure all devices, including phones, tablets, smart TVs and IoT (Internet of Things) devices are updated with the latest software that will ensure optimal protection against any digital threats. It is important to note that any device with an internet connection has the potential to be hacked. This is why is crucial to enable automatic software updates where possible. It helps to close security gaps, which makes it harder for would-be attackers to compromise your devices.
- Backup data regularly: Regularly back up data to an external device, or a third party cloud service to protect yourself against potential cyber-attacks, particularly those posed by ransomware. While synchronization services such as OneDrive and Dropbox are solutions, they are not optimal. This is because modern ransomware has the capability to target synchronized copies of files as well as the originals. It is always recommended that IT support staff advise employees on a robust back up plan to minimize the impact of potential ransomware attacks.
- Use secure Wi-Fi connections: It is always important to use secure Wi-Fi connections that will help protect your data. When at home, a strong and unique password (advice shared above under Tip #1) should be used that it different to the default passwords provided with your router and other smart devices.
When working outside of your abode, it is always strongly recommended to use a virtual private network (VPN) or your cellular network in order to ensure secure internet access. - Be careful with email attachments: Exercising caution is always the best approach when it doubt over the validity of an email attachment. This is one of the most common methods of propagation when it comes to malware. It is recommended to contact the sender via an alternative communication channel if your are in doubt. Furthermore, using the “junk” and “block” options help to train your email inbox and it should become more robust at filtering out malicious emails in future.
- Always report suspicious activity: While this may seem fairly obvious, it is often something that is an afterthought when it comes to cybersecurity amongst employees. It is always best to exercise cation here and report anything suspicious to your IT department immediately. This can help to prevent potential cyber threats from escalating into catastrophic security breaches. You will be keeping your business secure and your IT department will be sure to thank you!
- Lock devices when not in use: Another tip that may seem straightforward but is not always adhered to. Whenever you are not using your device, be that desktop or mobile, they must be kept locked to prevent unauthorized access. Effective passwords, biometric locking and automatic locking functionality are all imperative.
- Be aware of social engineering: Cyber criminals often use social engineering tactics in order to trick people into handing over sensitive and compromising information. The most common methods include posing as either IT support or trusted contacts. They will often emphasize the need for urgency too, which is a typical giveaway. Once again, we urge the responsible use of the “junk” and “block” buttons on your email inbox.
- Avoid using unauthorized software: Employees downloading unauthorized software opens the door to PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Program) and keystroke attacks. Unauthorized software typically lacks the proper security measures, representing a dream avenue for exploitation by hackers. Ensure that all software and applications are first vetted by your IT department to assess whether they comply with required security standards.
- Secure your workstations: With the rise of hot desking and co-working spaces, it is now increasingly important to secure your workstation from a physical perspective as well as a digital one. Cable locks can allow you to secure your devices to your desk and sensitive documents/mobiles should be kept in locked drawers when not in use. Although it may not always be possible, it is recommended to position your workstation in a way that minimizes unauthorized viewing of your screen – particularly if you work in an industry that works with sensitive data.
- Use encryption: Encrypting sensitive data is a must in today’s digitally advanced world. This process converts data in a secure format that can only be accessed by those in possession of a decryption key. Encryption should be a standard across businesses of all sizes in 2024 and beyond. This means that even if your data is compromised, hackers would still be unable to access this.
- Implement access controls: The implementation of access controls is a vital step in digitally securing you organization. User access should be kept as minimal and restrictive as possible. Role-based access controls (RBAC) can help to assign permissions that depend on job roles. These should be regularly reviewed and updated to minimize the risk of any data breach.
- Be wary of USB devices: Never use an unknown USB device. This poses major cybersecurity risks as hackers will often load malware on to USB drives which then infect your system once inserted. Ensure that you only ever use USB devices from trusted sources. If they are not necessary, it may even be worth disabling USB ports to protect your business further.
- Educate yourself continuously: The stark pitfalls of failing to secure your organization from a cybersecurity perspective have been discussed already in this article. As a result, it is in everyone’s best interest to ensure that regular education on cybersecurity best practices for employees is conducted. This ensures that everyone in the business is kept informed of the latest trends and potential risks in cybersecurity.
- Secure communication channels: A designated and secure communication channel should be decided upon within your organization. No sensitive information should be shared outside of this channel and unsecured platforms such as personal email or public messaging apps should be avoided. All communication channels should be initially assessed by the IT department in order to ensure that they are suitably secure and will uphold the confidentiality of relevant information.
- Understand and follow company policy: Ensuring that you both have cybersecurity policies in place and rigorously implement them is crucial for maintaining a digitally secure organization. Your policies should be designed to protect both your employees and the business itself. All employees, new and existing, should be made aware of these and frequently reminded of their importance. Regular reviews of company policy and the implementation of recurring cybersecurity training should allow you to stay ahead of the curve.
- Regular security audits: In similar fashion, the regular conducting of security audits are crucial to identifying and addressing any potential vulnerabilities within your organization. Cybersecurity develops at a fair rate of knots, so it is vital to regularly assess your current setup. You do not want to fall behind in terms of software, hardware and network security – doing so could have severe ramifications. Regular security audits allow you to stay on top of your digital defenses.
Conclusion
With today’s rapidly changing digital landscape bringing with it a great deal of threat and risk, cybersecurity and awareness is more important than ever. By adhering to the hand-picked selection of tips throughout this article, you will substantially reduce the risk of cyber threats to your organization.
For those seeking a robust, easy-to-use solution, look no further than SUPERAntiSypware’s corporate offering, offering ease of deployment and management through a single Site License or a Central Management System (CMS).
FAQs
Why is cybersecurity important for employees?
Cybersecurity is important as they are typically the first line of defense against most forms of cyber-attack. Regular education and security audits help to reinforce this defense, protecting both employees and the organization itself.
What are the most common cybersecurity threats?
The most common cybersecurity threats are: phishing attacks, malware, ransomware, spyware, adware and trojan viruses.
How can I create a strong password?
Passwords should always exceed 16 characters, using a combination of letters, numbers and special characters while avoiding any personal information. A password management tool can be used to store all of your unique passwords in one convenient and secure place.