At OSTechnical we know that cybersecurity in the workplace is a top priority for you and your team. Our highly skilled IT professionals are equipped to keep sensitive information under lock and key to keep things running smoothly. Don’t worry your Wordle record is safe with us. Below you will find our favorite workplace cyber safety tips starting from initial training to a BYOD (bring your own device…not dog) policy.
Let’s jump into OST’s five top tips for cyber safety.
Educate Your Employees
We all may feel like we have a grasp on how to avoid being fooled or conned online but with AI and other advances in technology staying secure isn’t so easy anymore. We recommend regular cybersecurity training sessions for you and your employees. It’s important to keep alert and aware of any threats or scams that may disrupt your business online.
Here are some classic hacker tricks that can trip anyone up:
- Phishing Emails And Texts– Scammers use phishing to obtain your most private information. Their goal is to manipulate us into giving up passwords, social security numbers, and even bank account details. If an email or text seems too good to be true delete it on sight!
- Social Engineering Attacks– These involve some form of psychological manipulation, fooling otherwise unsuspecting users or employees into handing over confidential or sensitive data.
Vintage Is Cool, Except When It Comes to Your Cybersecurity Software
Keeping your company’s security software up to date is key when it comes to protecting your company’s assets online. Software updates may seem like a nuisance but they are the first line of defense against bugs and hackers. Why is it so important to keep up with the latest advances in cybersecurity software?
- To Patch Vulnerabilities– Cybercriminals or hackers are always looking to exploit any weak points. By updating your security software you are automatically patching up any known vulnerabilities that you may not know about.
- To Protect Against New Threats– Malware, viruses, and malicious software, oh my! New and improved tools for the online intruder are constantly evolving. Keeping one step ahead of them by keeping your security software up to date ensures that you are protecting your work from emerging threats and the latest risks.
Consider automatic updates for all security features so that you don’t lose any sleep over getting stuck in the past.
Make Password Protection A Priority
Passwords and MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) are the first line of defense against cyber attacks at the workplace or home. It is important to keep your team up to date on password policies. Did you know that cybercriminals exploited 1.7 billion login credentials and passwords in 2021 alone? It’s 2024! There is no reason for ‘Password’ to be the most common password in America.
Draft An Incident Response Plan, Because Incidents Happen
An Incident Response Plan is a document that provides detailed guidelines for an organization to follow in the unfortunate event of a data breach. The IT professionals provided to you by OSTechnical are well-versed in establishing new Incident Response Plans as well as executing ones that are already in existence. We will guide you through all seven steps in incident response: preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery, learning, and re-testing.
Data Encryption Is So…Cryptic
When data or information is shared over the internet it goes through several network devices all over the world. When data travels it becomes vulnerable to hackers and cyber-attacks. Data Encryption scrambles or encodes your information while it’s on the road taking it from a readable format into something much more difficult to decode. By incorporating data encryption software into your cybersecurity toolbox you’ll develop an encryption scheme that can only be broken by huge amounts of computer power. Not even hackers have time for all that trouble.
Work From Home? Here’s Some Tips For You
We haven’t forgotten about you lovely migratory global nomads and living room warriors. If you work from the comfort of your bed, you need to follow the same cybersecurity practices that you would in the office. It’s important to be up to date on all your Know your organization’s telework policies and to only use devices approved by your organization. We also recommend the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to securely access your organization’s network. Perimeter 81 and NordLayer are both excellent choices!