Employees can reduce cybersecurity threats

In our hyper-connected world, cybersecurity has become an everyday concern, especially for businesses. Most people have heard about the common culprits like ransomware and phishing, but employee training and extra attention can protect your business from further harm. 

It’s not a matter of if you will be affected by security issues, but when. 

The problem that lies between the keyboard and the chair

Most cybersecurity issues have one common denominator: human error. Your biggest security hazard is your people, whether with a mistake or deliberate circumvention of security policy. 

Here are two ways you can help employees reduce their chances of compromising your security—or theirs—through cyberattacks. 

Password protection with a password manager

Passwords are one of the most targeted areas for cyber attackers. They can gain access to accounts by cracking easily guessable passwords or when users keep the same password for multiple accounts. 

They often start with email or Google passwords, which are then used across many other random accounts like streaming services, retail stores, and even banks. Once one is compromised, the whole system fails, and the hacker gains access to everything associated with that password and similar variations.

Protecting personal information is vital, but expecting a unique password for every system and site can feel like a full-time job in itself. 

To help alleviate the mental load, a password manager like LastPass can automate different passwords for each site and store them in a secure cloud location accessible by a single master password. The initial setup takes an investment of time but can save thousands of dollars in lost productivity and data recovery.

Phishing awareness training

The easiest way for a hacker to wreak havoc is with phishing. It’s a high-volume technique that asks users to submit personal information via email, instantly providing access to that account. 

If they gain access to an email account, they can quickly change passwords and lock out users (and admins). They can also access vital business information and send emails on behalf of the user or the company. 

A service like PII Protect can help train employees to avoid phishing schemes for just a few dollars per month per employee. 

IT professionals use sophisticated tools to prevent intrusions from cyber attacks, but hackers can still bypass these defenses when we “open the door” through careless password use and email practices. 

Ask your employees to help foil hacker activities by providing them with services like a password manager and security awareness training. Your Managed Services Provider or IT Manager can suggest the ones best for you.