All employees should be trained, to have a basic level of understanding of IT security attacks and risks.
Information Technology is part of our everyday professional life. Majority of the active workforce use computers and the Internet to do their job. Working from home is also a current trend. It is estimated that 5% of the current workforce in the US works from home. This means employees’ computers connected to the company IT infrastructure using the Internet. We all know this translates to cybersecurity risk.
For IT Security, prevention is mandatory. Firewalls, IPS/IDS systems, endpoint and mobile protection software, remain an integral part of an organization’s security lineup. They will block the majority of standard attacks by hackers on IT systems, and stop the spread of malware. However, educating employees on cybersecurity and potential threats is a key aspect of any prevention strategy. Education on cybersecurity threats is a vital layer of protection, as professional hackers today often exploit the human factor to pinpoint vulnerabilities and obtain network access.
Human errors, while using information systems, account for most of the cyber incidents today. As the first method for threat prevention, companies should train employees on basic security practices. Enterprises should focus on the practical and simple to enforce measures.
Companies shall explain and define what means an efficient password. Or, how to use one. This can be implemented by effective password policies. Companies should train their employees on how to identify malicious emails and links. Employees should be able to know and recognize how a phishing email looks like.
Enterprises should define and train their employees about the use of approved software and what appropriate usage of the Internet means. Also, with the rise of social media, employees must know how to use it safely.
Organizations should invest in cybersecurity awareness and training for their employees. There are external companies that can provide such training. We think that every managed (security) service provider should offer such training to the enterprises they support. This training should be part of their delivered service.
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