Businesses Have a Cyber Security Problem: Their Own Employees

by Kristopher Samuels Writer

After 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.