Are your employees placing your company at risk?
Almost 90% of cyber-attacks are caused by human error or behavior. It is so important for small business owners to educate their employees in order to keep their business’s information safe!
The internet has become a primary asset to many businesses. It is estimated that 43 percent of cyber-attacks are targeted to small businesses. Many employees are unprepared for this world of cyber-crime that targets small businesses. Companies face large risks when they choose not to educate their employees about these threats.
So, what kind of training would be beneficial in the workplace? Start by thinking about the layout of your company culture –
Do you allow personal web browsing in the workplace?
If so, your employees need to learn some tips on the importance of safe internet usage.
Authentication
If an employee’s computer were to get in the hands of someone suspicious, they could not only steal data from your device but also easily gain access to your company’s network. Establishing a complex password policy for your organization can protect you from such instances.
Network Connectivity
Wireless connections can be very unsafe. For example, employees who use Bluetooth connectivity are vulnerable to attacks and such connections open the door to cyber-attacks.
Public Wi-Fi also poses as a threat as hackers can also spoof public Wi-Fi with intent of gaining access to user’s internet traffic. In this way they can retrieve passwords and other sensitive data. Therefore, employees should be very careful to which Wi-Fi network they are connected to.
Safe Internet Browsing
Surfing the web on suspicious websites should be avoided. Some websites are designed to spread malware and take control of your computer. Links located in emails or websites should be inspected and clicked carefully. Hovering over a link to determine the actual address can be helpful and can reduce the chance of accidentally clicking a false link.
Do your employees understand how to recognize a fraudulent email?
Cyber-crime is always changing, and the scammers are getting smarter and more difficult to identify. Phishing is a huge issue in today’s world. Phishing is when criminals pretend to be a valid sender or organization and attempt to steal your personal information. It is estimated that nearly half of internet users receive at least one phishing email per day!
Phishing emails typically disguise themselves as a real sender prompting the receiver to send sensitive data, or trick you into clicking a fraudulent link. Training your staff to recognize a phishing email can add an important layer toward securing your business.
To learn more about avoiding phishing scams, read our previous post, “Top 10 Tips on How to Avoid Phishing Scams [Successfully]”.
Most companies have a weekly or monthly staff meeting. This is a great opportunity to talk to your employees about internet policies, and the importance of staying protected and aware of cyber threats. If you would like assistance in educating your employees on these issues, please do not hesitate to give KNS and Sequim I.T. a call!
Kitsap Networking (Silverdale office): 360-516-6741
Sequim I.T. (Sequim office): 360-504-3272
Kitsap Networking and Sequim I.T. are happy to provide these employee training sessions. We also cover a variety of other technology educational topics. We also offer consulting services – we can help you design internet safety guidelines and policies for your employees to follow. Give us a call today!