Hackers are constantly targeting companies’ employees to access the company’s data. According to a statistic, human error accounts for over 95 percent of security breaches. Therefore, it has become essential to learn some basic cyber security tips for employees.
Indeed, you have read it right. If you want to create a more secure environment within your organization against cyber attacks, you should focus on cyber security awareness tips for employees. Have you ever heard anything about cyber security awareness? If not, you should stay with us for a few minutes. Today, we are going to explore in-depth details about this term. On top of that, we will disclose some valuable tips that will help you fight against cyber attacks. So employees get ready to learn some of the best tips to protect your company’s data.
Also Read: Cyber Security Risks For Small Business
What is Cyber Security Awareness for employees?
Since the pandemic, remote work has evolved. Therefore, employees are using business devices for personal use. This has resulted in compromised security and created an opening that malicious actors may exploit. Thus, cyber security awareness for employees has become essential. Cyber security awareness is all about having a strong grasp of cyber threats, like phishing, ransomware, malware injection, and more. It also involves employees’ understanding of the nature of cyber threats and identifying risks. This also helps employees determine the best practices to follow if they encounter a threat. This awareness will help ensure you stay ahead in the world of cyber security.
Top cyber security awareness tips for employees
As mentioned above, a single mistake by an employee may cause a significant cyber security breach in your organization. However, there are many tips that can help you fight against these threats. Let’s take a look at the top cyber security awareness tips for employees:
- 2FA or MFA
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a great way to add extra protection to your organization’s data. Thus, you should consider enabling 2FA for applications or other sites like social media accounts or personal emails. This extra layer of protection authenticates your identity twice before granting access to your account. It can protect you from having your paycheck redirected or your email hijacked. Most security service providers offer 2FA options, such as sending a code to your phone or generating one through an app.
Apart from 2FA, you can also consider Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for similar purposes. It is the multi-step account login process that requires the user to enter more information than just a password. It can decrease vulnerability to risks. Both methods will ensure that you are the only person who has access to your account.
- Use strong passwords
Passwords play an essential role in protecting your company’s system from unauthorized or hazardous access. Thus, you need to be cautious with your passwords. Keeping your password long, with a combination of numbers, special characters, and both upper case and lower case letters, would be great. You should also try to keep a unique password for each social media account, email address, and other similar platforms for enhanced security.
When it comes to passwords, we want to share another cyber security tip regarding password management. You should also consider using a password manager. It will store your passwords and allow you to create complex passwords for all your sign-ins. This will prevent malicious actors from accessing your accounts. Finally, you should also avoid sharing your passwords with anyone else.
- Be aware of phishing attacks.
Phishing attacks are still among the most effective methods hackers use to gain access to a company’s data. Phishing simulation is one of the most reliable ways that companies must use to educate teams on the impact of engaging in suspicious communication and motivate users proactively to look for scams.
You must be aware of suspicious calls or emails that request personal information or demand immediate action. Additionally, you must carefully inspect any links before clicking them to ensure they come from a reputable website. It would also be best to verify through official or known channels rather than clicking on links. When clarification is needed, you should contact the company directly through a trusted email or phone number.
- Use a reputable antivirus.
Using a reputable antivirus has become a necessity for securing your system from cyber attacks. Therefore, you should suggest your team use this software on their devices. Antivirus software can protect your devices against viruses, malware, ransomware, and more. It would be beneficial to keep this software updated to ensure it can protect your devices against any new threats. You should also ensure that you periodically back up your irreplaceable data, such as photos and documents.
- Secure your home network.
Protecting a home network is another valuable cyber security awareness tip that cannot be ignored. Home routers can also put all your devices at risk for cyber-attacks because cyber criminals may often use your home router to access all connected devices. As most employees prefer working from home, it has become essential to protect the home network. Whether the router is located in your office or your employee’s home, you should secure the wifi by setting a unique and personal password. It would also be beneficial to enable WPA3 encryption for added protection. You should also keep the router software updated.
- Use a VPN
Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an emerging technology that you can use to improve security on your system. VPNs encrypt connections at the receiving and sending ends. It also keeps out the traffic that is not encrypted. It lets you connect securely to their network when they are not in the office. As an employee, you should make a VPN your best friend to create a secure network tunnel for your internet network. It encrypts your organization’s data from your remote location network to your company’s network. Most companies have their preferred VPNs. Therefore, you should only use a company-approved VPN while accessing an organization’s resources to protect sensitive data.
- Use the Public Network carefully.
Nowadays, everyone expects to get the Wifi access everywhere they go. However, these networks are the biggest perk, but it still among the biggest traps for cyber security breaches. It would be best to avoid connecting your devices to these networks to boost security. If you still need to connect your mobile phone or computers to your company, you should confirm the name of the public network and the exact login process with the relevant staff.
On top of that, you should avoid accessing sensitive information or making transactions using these networks. If it is necessary, you should enable the trusted VPN before accessing this information. This technique will make it harder for hackers to track your activities or bypass the sessions.
- Report the suspicious attacks.
As a responsible employee, you should be ready to report any suspicious activity within your organization’s system. Remember, most phishing attackers often target more than one employee. Therefore. If you have ever noticed any suspicious element or activity within the system, you should immediately report to the IT Department.
Some companies often use software to catch these activities within email service or dedicated inbox to forward it automatically to the IT department. You should contact your IT department officer to find out whether your company uses these systems. As an employee, you should avoid engaging in these activities. It would also be best to prevent sharing information or making purchases without verifying the source from seniors.
- Track your app permission.
Tracking your app permission is another significant cyber security awareness tip for employees. Your mobile phone or computer might have a suspicious application running in the background or using permission that you have never approved. Thus, you should take a moment to understand what permission the app needs before installing it on your device.
You should be careful about apps that need access to information or permission that they don’t operate. You should periodically audit the permission you’ve granted to these apps to identify whether they are necessary. Plus, you must use the “rule of least privilege” to delete permission that you don’t require or is no longer necessary. We want to give you the bonus tip that you should only download applications from trusted sources or vendors.
- Keep software updated
Last but not least, keeping your device software up-to-date is also essential to boost cyber security. Software updates often give you access to the new features or UI/UX within your devices. It can also enhance the security of your device. It would be best to set your device to automatic update to decrease the risk. You should also keep applications installed on your devices updated for the same purpose. Remember, outdated software or applications can be an excellent opportunity for malicious hackers.
Conclusion
Cyber Security Awareness Tips For Employees have become essential to protect business data. There are some tips that can help every employee to be safe from cyber-attacks. By following these tips, you can prevent cyber criminals from getting access to the organization’s system.
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