The Covid-19 pandemic has changed many businesses, introducing a remote workforce and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) infrastructure. Offices are now everywhere: on the kitchen counter, in a home office, or even in a coffee shop. Where you can go, work can go. The caveat to this level of flexibility is that security threats and possible cyber-attacks can increase. This is especially prevalent when employees are not properly educated on the increased business security necessary in this new remote landscape. Employees are the first line of defense in an organization and, in many instances, they are the primary targets of attack. According to a study done by Kaspersky Daily, “Just over half, or 52%, of businesses believe they are at risk [of cyber-crime] from within their staff through lack of knowledge”. Education is the most important way of securing your business and many cyber security threats can be avoided by simply adding password requirements or making employees aware of common cyber-attacks. It is vital to provide employee security training to avoid security threats. Below are 3 security tools that your business can implement both operationally and as a means to educate your employees about their critical role as the first line of defense against cyber security threats:
Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication, also known as MFA, introduces a way of securing your business that adds another layer of security to your network and traditional login methods. MFA requires users to provide verification factors to grant access to a device, application, or system. These verification factors can be things like a pin number, a mobile phone number, fingerprints, FaceID, or even locational information. That way, should anyone gain access to a password, they would be unable to log into any resource because they lack the second factor of the MFA requirement – you! MFA is a great way to add increased business security measures and make it much harder for cyber-criminals to enter your network, especially in the time of this new remote landscape for many organizations.
Email Phishing Information
Email phishing is one of the most dangerous cyber-attacks because it targets employees. According to a study done by Keepnet Labs, “85% of organizations have suffered from phishing attacks and most organizations will encounter them at one point or another” An email phishing attack is when a cyber-criminal impersonates a legitimate organization via email, in order to steal sensitive information. These emails are usually hard to differentiate from real emails, and they normally have a link or advertisement that when clicked, allows the criminals access to private information about you and your company. It is important to provide employee security training on what these emails look like and why they are dangerous to ensure you are securing your business from all possible threats.
Password Requirements
Passwords are an important aspect to cyber security within your organization and is a common first line of defense for a user’s account. A poorly chosen password can result in the compromise of your organization’s corporate network and can allow cyber-criminals to access private information about you and your company. Password requirements should be mandatory in your organization. It is important to make sure all employees choose a password that is not easily guessable and different for each resource within the organization. Educating the organization on password best practice and complexity requirements serves as an increased business security measure within your organization.
Education is the best investment you can make to protect your business especially in this new remote landscape many organizations are using. End User Security Training allows you to educate your employees and involve them as the first line of defense throughout an organization. It is imperative that all members of the organization have a stake in securing your business through the protection of information and how to have greater awareness of potential threats.
For more information about how End User Security Training is the first step in securing your business, please email us.
