When it comes to keeping your business safe, cybersecurity counts for a lot. Unfortunately, not all breaches arise from savvy attackers making their way past your defenses. Instead, a lot happens because of human error.
According to Techradar, more than 90% of cybersecurity breaches happen as a result of human error.
From failing to keep devices safe to falling for phishing emails, human error manifests in many ways. If you want to strengthen your company’s approach, here are five ways to alter your cybersecurity posture using products such as Onelogin.
Train your employees, then train them again
Each time a new employee joins your business they need training on your cybersecurity policies. Make sure you brief them on what they can and cannot do. Let them know who they need to go to if they suspect they’ve allowed a breach to happen. Most importantly of all, reassure them that you won’t take a punitive approach, as this inspires confidence in the reporting process.
In addition to briefing your employees on cybersecurity policies, take control by training them on how to spot potential breaches. Ensure they’re aware of what a phishing email looks like and how they should react if they receive one.
All employees can benefit from repeat training throughout the year. Businesses and tech threats are constantly evolving. By providing repeat training, you reduce the likelihood that a breach will happen.
Use single sign-on to reduce hacker opportunities
Each time an employee needs to login to an app, they’re introducing an opportunity for a hacker to seize their details. Technologies such as keystroke tracking allow hackers to steal passwords. When those passwords are used across a range of work accounts, they could compromise the data your employees have access to.
One tool you can use to defeat this problem is single sign-on. Single sign-on technology allows your employees to log onto all the apps they need to use with one login. As a result, there are fewer opportunities for hackers to steal passwords and compromise your data.
Taking this approach to logging in also makes your employees’ processes more convenient. They’ll shave minutes off each day, which they can then dedicate to other tasks. As a result, you should see your workplace become more efficient.
Identify what your critical assets are
Cybercriminals who want to gain access to your company’s information won’t take a blind aim. They already know the type of information they want to access and they’ll fight fiercely to get it. Because of this, you need to focus your cybersecurity on critical assets.
If you’re unsure as to what your critical assets are, consider what would cost the most for you to lose. It’s usually the type of information that’s governed by data protection laws, as well as anything your clients would hate to lose. Focus on the information that you wouldn’t want your employees to share publicly.
After identifying your critical assets, make a note of where it’s kept and who has access to it. If your employees rely on cloud-based technology, those assets could be anywhere in the virtual world. Each one will require a thorough risk assessment that focuses on how easy it is for cybercriminals to access the information and what will happen if it falls into the wrong hands. Make sure you re-assess these assets and how you’ll protect them periodically and provide employees with further training where necessary.
Take a non-punitive approach to reporting
In the United States, the average fine for a cybersecurity breach is $7.91-million. With that in mind, employees are naturally fearful of what will happen if their actions result in a breach. Some may hold off on making reports because they fear the consequences of doing so. In some cases, this may result in reports being made too late or breaches being discovered when a lot of damage has been done.
From the outset of their employment, your employees need to know that you take a non-punitive approach to reporting. Tell them that you’re aware that not all breaches are due to negligence. Instead, they arise because of error. When your employees are assured that not all breaches attract punitive action, they may feel confident in coming to you earlier.
Overall, early reports make it easier for you to contain the damage. You stand a stronger chance of preventing serious losses. Each report you receive could also act as an opportunity for you to strengthen your network’s security.
Prepare for incidents in advance
Why wait for an incident to happen when you could have a disaster response plan in place today? Your cybersecurity breach could occur at any time. Whether it’s later on today or five years into the future, failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
In 2018, the number of cyberattacks that businesses face increased by 59%.
Your business may face dozens each day, without you being aware of it. With that in mind, you need to plan for the different types of attacks and the eventualities they could produce. For example, what is your initial response going to be? How will you keep customer data safe? And in the event of ransomware, how will you keep your business running until you regain access to your information?
In reality, you can’t prepare for every eventuality. But by preparing for some of them, you’ll have less to think about when an attack happens. The result of being prepared for some events means you form sharper responses to others. Hopefully, that will lead to facing fewer consequences if the worst happens.
Your cybersecurity posture is something you should constantly improve. The tech world is moving rapidly, so you need to adapt with it. From persistently training your employees to altering how you protect your data, every step you take keeps your business safe.
