October has been designated as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and it’s good timing. Multiple organizations, such as the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the National Cybersecurity Alliance, are working hard to increase awareness of all the risks individuals and businesses face online. Cyber criminals grow more savvy over time, and devise increasingly clever ways of getting around our defenses, so it’s important to stay on top of recent developments and trends.
With regard to businesses, one of the primary risks we all face is right under our noses. Did you know that one of the most common methods of entry to your network is through an unsuspecting employee? Frequently hackers are spoofing emails, so that messages appear to originate from legitimate sources. An employee believes an email came from you, or another co-worker, and clicks a link within the message. Oops! Those links are often loaded with malware or other malicious content.
That’s why awareness of the risks can be so important. It’s not about catching the criminals responsible or even anticipating their next move; it’s about educating your employees so that they know how to spot a suspicious email or other activity. Each employee serves as a point of entry to your system, so start by raising their awareness of threats.
Next, implement a procedure to be followed for all suspicious messages, links, and so on. All employees should know this procedure, and understand the consequences for failing to follow it. You can access additional tips straight from the FBI at this link.
Finally, remember to routinely review cybersecurity awareness with all employees. Everyone tends to slip over time, and forget small details when we aren’t reminded. Plus, since hacking methods do evolve, we should all remain vigilant and continue to adjust our own security methods.
If you need help with any of these items, don’t hesitate to call us at 888-RING-MY-TECH. We can help you decide upon a plan of action to keep your company’s network safe.
