Businesses Have a Cyber Security Problem: Their Own Employees
by Kristopher Samuels WriterAfter the hack-riddled 2016 US election and a procession of
multinational corporations brought down by expensive and embarrassing data
breaches, the topic of cyber crime has entered mainstream culture right now.
It’s an important subject for anybody, but no business can afford to ignore the
potential consequences of getting hacked.
While there’s been lots of media focus on the larger
companies that have been targeted, actually most cyber crimes are aimed at
smaller businesses specifically because they have fewer resources to invest in
cyber security. Many small businesses never recover from getting hacked and
have to shutter within months.
Cyber security ought to be better understood, so people can
stay secure. There may be a tendency to imagine a malignant threat from some
shady corner of the world, but your network is at risk from the accidental
actions of your own employees.
No matter how much your company has invested in cyber
security or IT personnel, it’s essential to take a few steps to prevent your
colleagues from unwittingly posing a risk. You can read up for more info about how the best
platforms keep your network secure, and provide the technology to get the job
done.
Unknowing Data Liabilities
Your employees don’t need to be double agents conspiring to
bring down your company for them to cause it serious damage. In fact, it’s
their naivety which hackers specifically try to exploit, with scams like phishing spam
enabling them to get a toe in the door of your computer system.
A hacker will send what may be a painstakingly-crafted fake
email that claims to be from a real and accredited institution. If your
employee opens this email and clinks the link, it could infect their work computer
with spyware, which can in turn reveal to the hacker various passwords or other
sensitive information.
Even if the employee in question is checking their personal email,
there’s a risk to the entire network if they’re using a company-issued device.
The only way to prevent this possibility from occurring is using end-to-end
encryption.
End-to-End
Encrypted Devices Your Company Needs
Only a few years ago, communication devices with the leading encryption
either didn’t have enough functionality to be very useful, or it functioned but
had security vulnerabilities. Now, you can get the best of both worlds.
The best encryption providers in the industry use
unbreakable protocols protecting all the content in your phone, including:
messages, contacts, pictures, and more. Cyber criminals don’t get a chance to
gain entry because only devices using the same encryption protocol can message
each other.
The best encryption devices use Elliptical
Curve Cryptography in cases where the intended recipient is also using the
same platform, and standard PGP encryption for when they aren’t. Going between
modes should be effortless — you don’t need to be a tech genius to operate
these phones.
Encryption ensures that messages can’t be intercepted, while
features like auto-delete and tamper-proofing make sure that the content inside
the phone can’t be accessed by anybody, even if they’re holding the phone in
their hands.
Everybody knows by now about the threats out there, but take the
proactive step to guard against them. This means training your employees in how
to recognize and avoid tricks like phising spam, but also giving them the right
equipment to keep you and the company safe.
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Created on Nov 22nd 2019 15:19. Viewed 430 times.