Nearly 88% of all data breaches are caused by human error, which means your business is at risk every day because distracted employees do not know they’re making a mistake. It can be as simple as your IT staff not having the time or knowing of a software update or as complex as a social engineering attack. The bad news is that mistakes happen, but you don’t want them to cost your organization thousands or even hundreds of thousands. The good news is that with some simple cybersecurity practices, you can reduce that risk exponentially. Keep reading for Secure Data’s six simple tips to stay cyber-safe at work.

Enforce Password Policies

Passwords are the first line of defense for most of our information, but passwords are only as good as people make them. Password protection is more than just putting out long and complex passwords. While that is a good start, it can make it difficult for one to remember their passwords! Writing them down on post-it notes is also extremely dangerous (not to mention counterintuitive.) The best way to keep passwords safe is with a password manager and generator.

Changing your password on a somewhat regular basis is also a wise practice. Employees tend to reuse passwords or modify only one symbol, making the password essentially useless. Using two-factor authentication can be one of the last security measures you can use if all of this fails. Two-factor authentication can stop all automated attacks, 96% of bulk phishing attacks, and 75% of targeted attacks, making it a valuable resource.

Keep Systems and Software Up To Date

Keeping your software and computer up to date is essential when trying to keep your devices safe. Hackers tend to target known weak spots, using these weaknesses to steal your information. Take Equifax, for example, which was breached after failing to update its systems. The hackers entered through a hole in their software that had been patched by the software creators two months prior. Making sure to set up automatic updates can keep companies safe from getting hacked.

Social Media Awareness

Companies should be aware of what they post and what their employees post. Some hackers use social media to engineer an attack by using the wealth of personal and employee information found on popular sites. This information can leave employees vulnerable to social engineering attacks. For example, employees posting information about pets’ names or their childrens’ birthdays can give bad actors hints about their passwords. Companies should recommend that employees not conduct business or share sensitive information over social media platforms.

Phishing Is A Continuous Threat

Making sure employees are aware of phishing attempts and how to combat them can also keep companies safe. Phishing is one of the most common attack vectors, targeting nearly 75% of all companies. Most of these attacks come through email but being aware of fake messages on social media platforms that sound alarming or demand information can keep data safe from hackers.

Treat Your Work Information Like You Would Your Personal Information

The best way to keep your company information safe is to treat it as personal information. People tend to be careful when it comes to their information, such as social security numbers or banking information, protecting it as much as they can from any threat. If companies want to achieve the same thing, they should train employees to understand that company data is just as important. Employees should understand the risks to the organization and how not to be a risk both professionally and personally.

Staying Safe While Working Remote

COVID-19’s most significant impact on many organizations was forcing a shift to remote work. As a result, businesses had to become even more vigilant with their cybersecurity, especially when sharing sensitive information between remote workers. The quickest and simplest form of secure access is a VPN. VPNs allow employees to access the business network while not being actively in the building. VPNs achieve this by connecting computers to a separate server. In addition, VPNs encrypt the information that employees access, keeping it hidden from prying eyes.

VPNs are not the only way to keep sensitive information safe, nor is there only one way for hackers to take data from employees. Companies should also try to use specific applications, such as conferencing apps or private messaging servers, so employees can share the information they need to. By restricting companies to these applications, businesses can remove the dangers of employees using multiple platforms.

Moreover, adopting a cloud strategy that allows for more secure access is the wave of the future. Implementing secure access service edge, or SASE (pronounced sassy) for short, allows for “immediate, uninterrupted access for their users, no matter where they are located.” Moreover, it allows for better secure management of your network by being more secure.

Staying safe online is important for everyone, especially businesses. Companies must protect themselves, customers, and employees from losing their information to attacks. Everyone must play a part in keeping the majority safe. While this can sound tiring, there are places businesses can turn to for extra help. Utilizing a partner with expertise in cybersecurity and proven solutions, such as Secure Data, can keep you safe before, during, and after an attack. Managed services are helpful in every aspect of a cyberattack as they monitor your networks before the attack, shut them down during, and help you with a plan to recover afterwards.