Perhaps unsurprisingly, education on internet security has in the recent years taken the backseat in plenty of businesses today. Most of the internal security budgets, media coverage, and venture capital dollars are channeled on new technology. However, company employee security education which is equally important often receives little or zero attention. Even with phishing being on all top headlines, you can easily forget that your unsuspecting employees can introduce threats such as ransomware into your network.

Most successful cyber-attacks target unsuspecting end users in different forms. Attackers can lure your employees to unknowingly disclose passwords or company secrets. They can also trick them into visiting various websites or click links that automatically install malware on computers. In a worst-case scenario, this can happen to the employee you have entrusted with domain administrator privileges. This means that an attacker will have access to your entire network.

Protect Your Business from Attackers with Employee Training

In a recent study by Ponemon Institute, 55% of small business experienced cyber-attacks within 12 months. Additionally, 50% were victims of data breaches within the same period. A survey by the institute found that 41% of small businesses were victims due to negligent employees and contractors.

Whether your business has excellent anti-virus software, firewalls, or other cybersecurity programs connected to your network, you should invest in employee cybersecurity training. Your employees are the first line of defense against cyber-attacks or data breach that could lead to reputation or financial losses.

The Biggest Cybersecurity Threats Are Your Employees

The first rule for any security plan is always to secure the perimeter. This has worked with castles, and it applies when it comes to protecting your business data. Regardless of the encryption, firewalls, and VPN access that you have provided to a select few employees, you should always remember that nothing is always foolproof. Investing in such technology will increase your chances against hackers, but don’t forget that you have an office full of workers who have access to your network and they don’t need to be computer geniuses for them to do real damage.

According to the 2016 State of the Endpoint Report survey that was conducted by Ponemon, 81% of the respondents stated that their biggest security threat was their careless employees. This number is almost identical to the 80% of respondents who claimed that they were victims of malware attack. This means that there is a direct relationship between careless employees and high risk of cybersecurity attacks.

For a long time laptops were the standard tools to access company data but now everyone has a smartphone. While these devices can easily access your network, it’s your employees’ responsibility to keep them secure. Your IT staff may know how to do that, but other important employees in departments such as the HR may not be as vigilant. It will only take one time to connect a phone to a public Wi-Fi service, and the phone remembers and connects automatically after that. Wherever that phone goes, it’s connected to a door into vital business data.

While endpoint security software at your employees’ device is reliable to protect against attacks, no software can match for employees that leave their devices open in public places while logged in. This stresses more on the level of enterprise network security that goes unspoken.

There is no doubt that protecting your data is more of a human problem and not technology. Therefore, when creating a solution, you have to address this fact. However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make use of technology. Keeping up with technology in your business will help you to detect threats easily and respond quickly to suspicious activities. Software is the answer when malware is the problem, but how the malware gets installed is the fault of one of your workers.

How can You Help Keep Your Employees Safe as They Use the Internet at Work?

Hackers are always on the lookout for unsuspecting employees to lure them and use them to steal sensitive data. Make use of the following tips to help your employees keep cyber gangs at bay:

• Ensure that all operating systems are updated.
• Update browsers at all times.
• Make use of firewalls and software that opposes spyware, virus, and phishing.
• Update all software.
• Encrypt your network.
• Set up administrative rights to limit installation of software on company computers.
• Block access to sites to prevent hackers and oblivious employees from uploading company information to storage clouds.
• Encrypt drives, files, and folders.
• Implement a strict password policy.
• Most importantly, ensure your employees are well-informed.

Think About Employee Cyber Security Training

Hackers are now using sophisticated skills to breach networks and steal information. This is why cyber security training is important in creating awareness among your employees, particularly when they browse the internet. Contact Infotec to learn more about employee training.

For more information about Infotec or any of our programs click here: http://www.infotectraining.com/ or https://ops.infotecpro.com/course_schedule/course_schedule.cfm.