Cyber security and associated vulnerabilities are never out of the news. New scams, methods of attack and hacking techniques seem to catch even the best-known and well-resourced organisations out all the time.
Your first step in the plan of action is to ensure your employees are aware of the threats they're vulnerable to, the threats are now harder to detect than ever.
So, how can you prevent falling victim to cyberattacks?
This article provides actionable tips you can deploy to employees to help keep your organisation safer.
Cyber security is similar to health and safety because its success depends on the culture you cultivate. A carefree attitude results in accidents at work and cyber security, resulting in sabotaged systems and missing data. Like health and safety, this results in hefty company and personal fines and reputation damage.
Communicate the cyber security threat and continuously update your teams on new threats as they emerge. The once-a-year philosophy of cyber security training is completely outmoded.
Here, your cyber security teams simulate cyber attacks on all departments in an organisation and measure results. Attacks normally take the form of phishing attacks; after the exercise, you can gauge the results.
From here you can:
This is the best way to train staff in cyber security awareness.
It is best practice to integrate cyber security into the onboarding process. This will inform your new employee that this is a shared responsibility. Educate your new staff member on all procedures and policies relating to cyber security.
The C-suite must be on board and fully aware of potential consequences, both on a company and individual level.
Cyber security is a serious business at every level.
Reporting structures should reflect that.
In earlier posts, we discussed how pen testers and red teams were important for testing your system. This evaluation process should intertwine with your ‘Live Fire’ exercises. It is good practice to conduct an evaluation after:
Communication is vital to repelling cyber security threats and keeping your organisation safe. Staff should be aware of new threats and the consequences of data breaches should be made clear.
In addition to briefings, try and hold regular meetings or make it part of another meeting. Pass progress and incident reports along the chain of command.
Ensure that policies include specific rules regarding email, browsing, and mobile device use. Staff should be clear about what they can and can’t do and the consequences of misuse. Your policy should also clearly state what staff should do should they suspect a security breach or if a mobile device goes missing.
Try and make these rules easy to follow and understand.
Password management is vitally important to cyber security. It is good practice to follow the National Cyber Security Agency guidelines. Currently, this uses the three random word principle instead of constant changes to a user’s password.
To keep the information flow on point, hold cyber security briefings. Ensure this is a two-way process and that recorded feedback is acted upon. Communication lines are vital to good cyber security awareness.
It is important to talk to a team that knows cyber security inside out. Our teams are ready to help and advise you on important aspects of your organisation’s security. We can bring you up to speed quickly and provide policies and practices that will minimise the success rate of cyber attacks. Talk to us.