Since March, our businesses have been turned upside down in ways we didn’t think imaginable. Now, offices sit empty while employees tackle projects from their kitchen tables. This, in turn, has increased use of personal devices, reliance on home WIFI, and a release of unecrypted information into cyberspace.
As a result, it is paramount that employees are educated on why security is needed and how to properly set up and maintain safety protocols. When your workforce has the tools and knowledge to create a secure work environment, your business is much more likely to be safe and protected.
Boosts Employee Confidence and Lowers Stress
The at-home workforce is feeling uncertain about proper cybersecurity set-ups. In addition to that, a recent Twitter poll found that “more than 30% of respondents singled out employee education as being the biggest area companies needed to make changes to improve cybersecurity.1”
With proper knowledge on how to encrypt information, step-by-step instructions on accessing data safely, and education on enacting proper safety measures, employees will feel more confident in executing them. Employees who fear they will “mess things up” or “do it wrong” are more likely to ignore proper safety protocols.
It is clear that the need for thorough understanding and education is there. This is because “according to OpenVPN, 36 percent of remote workers were responsible for security incidents as surveyed in a March 2019 poll using 250 IT leaders. Also, 54 percent of respondents said remote workers posed a greater security risk than office staff.2” If employees do not understand how to recognize, disable, or report a threat, cybercriminals have already won.
Therefore, the benefits of educating your employees to perceive threats and utilize safety protocols to protect against malicious intents far outweigh any time or money you might spend in the process.
Tightens Security
If a workforce is clear in understanding the importance of cybersecurity and the steps needed to make their environment safe, they will use these measures and create a more secure environment. For example, instead of an employee quickly squeezing in one last email full of sensitive data from their personal tablet, they will instead opt to use their encrypted work laptop.
In the previously mentioned Twitter poll, “30 percent of respondents admitted to using unencrypted devices during the pandemic.3” Risking your business’ sensitive information because one-third of your company was ignorant to the hazards of using an unencrypted device is a risk not worth taking.
Saves Time and Money
On average, downtime and loss of productivity caused by ransomware attacks cost a business $64,0004. That doesn’t include the amount needed to pay the attackers to regain access to your sensitive data or to keep them from releasing it to the public. This could cost thousands or millions of dollars more depending on your organization’s size and information cache.
It also doesn’t include the damage that is done to your reputation and client base upon discovering the data leak. It has been found that 90 percent of data breaches are caused by human error5. If you can reduce that human error significantly, then your chances of a cyberattack are drastically lower.
What can you do to enhance cybersecurity?
Training in order to recognize threats is paramount and should be done annually. Utilize a secure VPN for employees to log on to in order to access your network. Install anti-malware software to detect and prevent threats. Make sure employees are using company-approved devices and cloud technology for all work-related interactions. Ensure that work devices are only used for work purposes and only by the employee. Finally, keep alert. If something looks suspicious, ask others about it or talk to your IT department.
Education is a small price to pay when it comes to peace of mind for both leadership and employees in relation to cybersecurity. Having confidence and knowledge to implement safety protocols means they will be adhered to every time.
In addition, proper training will save your business time and money in the long run. Cloudfast can educate your team on recognizing, avoiding, and diffusing cyber-threats. Take a look at our training page for more information.
Sources:
1. https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/93826-employee-education-singled-out-as-the-biggest-cybersecurity-weakness-during-lockdown 2. https://blog.rsisecurity.com/why-your-remote-workforce-needs-cybersecurity-training/ 3. https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/93826-employee-education-singled-out-as-the-biggest-cybersecurity-weakness-during-lockdown 4. https://www.comparitech.com/antivirus/ransomware-statistics/ 5. https://blog.rsisecurity.com/why-your-remote-workforce-needs-cybersecurity-training/
