If you are a business owner and cyber security is not on the front of your priorities, it should be. With threats such as ransomware, data breaches, and other various cyber-threats making the headlines daily, it’s never been more important to focus on protecting your data.
According to Gartner Research, worldwide spending on cybersecurity will rise over $133 billion in 2022.
That’s a pretty scary number, yes? But let’s take a step back for a minute. Perhaps this is your first time really looking at an office philosophy for cybersecurity. Here are some questions should you be asking yourself about the level of cyber security in your organization, along with some facts to help paint the picture of how important knowledge truly is in The War for Cyber Security.
Question 1: Do your employees know about phishing?
How vigilant your employees are at spotting a phishing attack through email is crucial to survival. Cyber-criminals prey on the untrained eyes of an average office worker. One wrong click can compromise everything.
According to CSO Online, 92% of malware spreads through email.
An “urgent” email with an invoice you weren’t expecting. A message from your Bank saying your credentials were compromised and need to log in through a 3rd-party site. A message from a co-worker with YouTube video saying “You gotta see this!”
All of these are potential examples of a phishing attempt. Your employees need to have the mindset of verifying any links or attachments that may come through email, instant messaging, and teleconferencing chat groups.
Question 2: Do you know how strong your employees’ passwords are?
If your employees are using simple, easy-to-crack passwords, this puts your company at a higher risk of a data breach. Having a strong password policy in place keeps your employees alert on remembering their login credentials and reduces the chance of a brute force password attack.
According to Google Research, 65% of people reuse passwords across multiple sites and 13% use the same password for every login they use. (Google Research)
Cyber security is never convenient. We understand that having to maintain multiple complex passwords can be a chore, but it must be done to protect your own data. Work out a plan with your team and IT provider to create a password policy for your employees and use Multi-Factor Authentication when you can.
Question 3: What is your stance on mobile devices? Nearly every office utilizes mobile devices to get their work done. However, personal devices pertaining company information can also be a risk without the proper culture in place.
36% of the companies have at least half of their employees using their personal smartphones for work purposes. (Syntonic)
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies can be a major strength for your workforce when implemented and monitored correctly. This rings especially important when a former employee’s personal phone may still contain private company information.
Question 4: Do your employees understand the gravity of not being aware? No matter the size of your organization, if your employees are not cyber-aware, you are a target. It’s not as daunting as some may believe as small behavior habit changes often lead to great results.
95% of cyber security breaches are due to human error. (IBM)
There you have it. Human error is the number 1 cause of cyber security. And it can be avoided by living a proper cyber security culture, looking before you click, and having the right tools in place to keep hackers out.
This is only the beginning when formulating a plan for higher cyber security in your organization.
neoRhino’s Security Awareness Training program empowers fellow businesses to be more cyber-aware than ever before. neoRhino’s Security Awareness Training (SAT) program is INCLUDED with our Remote Managed Services (RMS) package, providing fellow businesses a vital combination of endpoint protection and employee cybersecurity training to keep you armored. For more details about the SAT Program and to sign up today, visit our website at www.neorhino.com/sat or contact our account managers today.
* On-Site SAT sessions are limited to the Houston, TX area but will also be available virtually to attend as well.
