Your employees are often the weakest link when it comes to cybersecurity. By now, we all know that Cybersecurity threats are happening more often and we may know a victim or have been victimized by outside hacker ourselves. But what about Insider threats which are much more complex and difficult to identify and manage. These inside threats are: malicious, accidental or negligent.
The security becomes paramount when the employees work in departments that have access to sensitive data. These departments are more likely to fall victim to cyberattacks:
- IT and development: These employees have system access and passwords to sensitive company files.
- Finance: Attacks target these employees to transfer large sums of money, bypassing normal accounts payable procedures and controls.
- The C-Suite: Executives often work long hours, are rarely confined to the office, and have unrestricted access to the most sensitive company data, making them highly valuable and highly available targets.
To eliminate and mitigate risks of employees exposing your business to cyber threats through human error the follow these guide lines published by Harvard Business Review:
- Rethink employee training: In order to make a meaningful and lasting impact on employee behavior, organizations should organize frequent and interactive training sessions.
- Identify high-risk users and intervene: Another technique is to send out mock-phishing emails to see who clicks. Predictive analytics and artificial intelligence can also monitor and influence risky behavior.
- Shape the solution to the human user and not vice versa: Secure systems such as encrypted email can be complex and cumbersome to use. Companies should engage with employees to find a viable and workable solution to support cybersecurity efforts.
- Constantly adapt to changing threats: Rapid advancements in technology makes it easier to secure data and to apply advanced analytics.
The Harvard Business Review article ends with: “It’s true that to err is human, and humans will keep erring. But increasingly, technology and improved practices can help you identify those employees who are most at risk of exposing your company to a cyberattack — before it becomes a major problem.”
There are industry best practices such as adopting complex passwords that are changed regularly, having state of the online backup system and identifying and limiting access to sensitive data.
CEO Computers can help protect your company against cyber-attacks. We have implemented safety features such two factor authentications as well as sending mock-phishing emails, incorporating sandboxing (emails with malicious attachments and links are opened outside your emails before being delivered to your mailbox) via Firewall or Microsoft products. If you are ready to explore some of the strategies outlined in this report, contact us at 818-501-2281 for a Free consultation today!
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