With cyber security breaches making headlines on an almost daily basis, it’s no wonder that it’s become an important area of focus for business owners. And while stepping up a firewall and antimalware software and adding additional protections such as two-factor authentication and data encryption are all critical when it comes to protecting your business, there is a much bigger flaw present in your security.
Despite being the single greatest vulnerability in any business’ IT security, the area that is universally overlooked is your employees. Human error accounts for more data breaches than any other factor and often plays a key role in all sorts of infections, intrusions, and thefts. One small, avoidable mistake can render every single security measure your business has in place all but useless.
There is no one mistake than can be blamed for these statistics. Some of the most common errors that result in data loss for businesses are:
- Poor password management
- Failure to recognize a phishing attempt
- Data being sent to the wrong recipient via email, fax, or post
- Unsecured disposal of outdated hardware
- Improper disposal of paper files
- Loss or theft of unsecured devices such as laptops, smartphones, or external drives
- Failure to encrypt or redact sensitive information
Waiting until after a breach occurs to address these vulnerabilities leaves your business open to a host of serious consequences such as loss of profits, loss of clients, fines, and potentially even legal ramifications. Which is why comprehensive and routine education and training for your entire team needs to be a critical component of your overall cyber security strategy.
Taking the time to educate your team on the proper way to handle data, how to spot and avoid the latest cyber threats, and what they can do to minimize the impact an infection or breach will have on your business will go a very long way towards keeping your business secure. Investing time, effort, and funds into new security software and tools will be a wasted investment if your staff conducts themselves – however unintentionally – in a way that undermines those measures.
Want to learn more about how you can take your employees from your greatest weakness to your biggest strength? Contact us at {email} or {phone}. We’re the IT professionals businesses in {city} trust.
