yayabobiDon't let your organization fall victim to a cybersecurity attack. Stay ahead of cyberattacks before they happen. Incorporate these top 13 can't-miss cybersecurity tips into your organizational cybersecurity awareness strategy.
Top 5 cybersecurity awareness tips
To increase cybersecurity awareness in your organization, follow these 13 tips.
1. Create a security culture
Too often, organizations use speedy execution as an excuse to sidestep security. Create a cybersecurity culture within your organization that values security over expediency. This approach reduces the likelihood of human error and social engineering attempts that can cause a full-blown security incident.
2. Keep current on industry compliance
Maintain awareness of industry compliance and regulations as they apply to your organization. Common examples of regulations include the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act for financial institutions. These mandates change often, so you must regularly keep current on them. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in service disruption, fines, and potential lawsuits.
3. Prepare for phishing and ransomware attacks
Malicious actors use the social engineering tactic of phishing to trick employees into an action that compromises organizational security. These actions can result in a full ransomware event that completely shuts down operations. Because phishing relies on social pressure and manipulation, the only measurable way to provide effective anti-phishing training is through repetitive simulations, smoothly integrated into your employees' daily workflow. With training backed by real-world metrics, you can see your employees' progress in their ability to identify phishing attempts over time.
4. Protect sensitive personal information
The EU's GDPR regulations define personal data as "any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (or 'data subject')." Protecting your organization's sensitive information requires maintaining oversight over how it's stored and retrieved and who has access. Beyond securing the hardware and software layers, you must consider the human layer. Without proper cybersecurity training for your employees, they might fall victim to social engineering techniques, such as phishing. As a result, malicious actors can extract their personal identifiable information, leading to identity theft or even a full-blown data breach.
5. Create a security checklist for remote workers
Create a security checklist for your remote workers---whether they're on the road or comfy at home---to make it easier for them to comply with your security policy. Although the specific entries on your checklist may differ across departments or organizations, the following items always apply:
Maintain strong password security. Don't use a weak password that can be guessed or discovered easily through minimal research, such as birthdays, addresses, or child or pet names. Also, don't use the same password across multiple services.
Always use a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt and secure communication between yourself and the organization's network.
Update your device's operating system and any installed software with the latest security patches.
Disable Bluetooth discovery on all your devices.
Disable auto-connection to insecure Wi-Fi access points on all your devices.
Regularly update your contact information with your IT department in case of an emergency.
Invest in an effective cybersecurity awareness training program
Take the next step, and invest in a scientifically proven cybersecurity awareness program rooted in real-world simulations that integrate right into your employees' daily workflow. Through AI and ML technologies, you can craft customizable cybersecurity awareness campaigns and review metrics to gauge the program's effectiveness.
Cybersecurity awareness is an investment in the future stability of your organization. Numerous companies have suffered the ill-fated results of lacking cybersecurity awareness; don't risk becoming another example.
