4 Considerations for Your Organization's Cyber Security

Millions of people find themselves sitting in front of a computer moving files around and corresponding with people over the phone, through email, or updating info in the company’s line of business app. However, what many of them don’t know, is that, at any time, they are only a couple of clicks away from causing significant problems for their organization. This is why it is extremely imperative to train your staff on what to look for and how to address those situations when they do arise.

To comprehend the desperate nature of this issue, you simply need to look at the global statistics. According to the Internet Society’s Online Trust Alliance (OTA), 2019 saw losses of over $52 billion as a result of cyberattacks, of which roughly 95 percent could have been avoided through simple, common sense actions and procedures. Furthermore, these figures are expected to grow rapidly in the future.

That’s why it is essential that your business, aside from your dedicated network and cybersecurity strategy, comes up with a plan on how to properly train your staff with procedures that won’t stymie your business’ ability to be productive. How you go about doing that is up to you, but listed below are a few strategies on how to effectively get this done.

Get Your Employees to Understand

Educating people who don’t work in security to learn about something as yawn-inspiring as network security isn’t impossible, but it takes a little creativity. If someone can relate to a victim, it’s easier for them to do things they wouldn’t usually do because they don’t want to be responsible for another. Use real world examples in your education materials. Chances are many of them have been the victim of identity theft or they’ve had their data leaked as a result of negligent behavior. Show them that many of the things they can do to protect the organization are things that they already do to protect their own data. 

Create a Culture of Security

If history has taught us one thing about people, it is that they are impressionable. If they are constantly surrounded by a certain message, they will usually accept that message. Creating a company culture that is rooted in security will do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. If your organization consistently pushes the need for comprehensive security, you better believe that most of your staff will get the message loud and clear.

Keep Training Consistent

Pushing security can go a long way, but without training that is designed to educate exactly what problems are being addressed by the procedures that are put in place, the whole thing is completely pointless. Employees need to understand:

• How to avoid becoming a victim of phishing
• What network resources they have access to
• The importance their role has in protecting company and customer data
• Solid password management and best practices
• What to do if they do make a security mistake

If every employee you have has a good handle on these five concepts, there likely won’t be a network security disaster coming from your staff in the near future.

Lead By Example

Clearly, in the average employee’s mind, network security, like physical security, is nothing they are inherently concerned with. If they follow procedure, there should be no issue. They figure that decision makers take the time and effort to address these issues and deploy the systems that are needed to protect the business. Not only that, many employees consider workplace security a C-suite issue. Firewalls, antivirus, multi-factor authentication, mobile device management, and intrusion detection are largely looked at in the same way as digital surveillance, access control, printer management, and a slew of other security systems that are controlled by people outside their expertise. In fact, many people look upon these systems as ones that serve to protect the business from them rather than working to protect the business.

Leading by example means that you do the right things and expect that your team follows suit. Being more supportive than demanding is a good way to start. People that aren’t that strong with technology won’t always get it. Alas, it only takes one instance to really create problems, so they must. Instead of being frustrated at their lack of understanding, create documentation and resources that will help them. Work with them to make them understand just how critical it is that they need to follow these procedures. They don’t need to understand the workings of complex IT systems, they just need to avoid the big mistakes that could cause major problems for the organization. 

At Macro Systems, we can help your business put together a plan to help you protect your business from end to end. Our IT professionals can help you put together procedures and a training plan that will give your business the resources it needs to stay secure. To learn more, call us today at 703-359-9211.