When most people think of a cyber attack, they tend to think of the Hollywood version: Some super-hacker sitting in a dark room, illuminated only by a couple computer screens, hammering out "code" to carry out the attack.
While that setting might play good in a movie, it's seldom as flashy or even technical as a scene like that would imply. In fact, in most security breaches, it's less about "hacking in" than about playing an age old game.
The modern-day Con Man
The fact of the matter is, most security breaches and cyber attacks start off less like "Die Hard 4" and more like the movie "The Sting", with the attackers basically being high-tech con artists.
Social Engineering attacks are most commonly the starting point of any major breach. The most common form of social engineering attack is the Phishing Attack. While other forms exist, phishing is still the most effective way to obtain access to your company. Social engineering targets the human desire to help and solve problems.
In the early stages of a breach. Attackers are looking for access, any access, they can get into the organization. This means it's not just high-value people in the company who are targets, but every employee. As a result, it's important that every employee understands and follows good security practices.
As a business owner, the risks should be obvious: downtime, losing data, lawsuits, lost trust, potentially the end of the business. These risks just add to the plate of what keeps owners and executives up at night. Employees however don't always see those risks. As a result, they may not care as much or may not feel like it's their job to take security seriously.
It can help to put the potential threat in personal terms. Help them to understand that they are not only protecting work data on the network, and it's not just client personal details: it's their own names, addresses, and SSNs. It's how much they get paid, their healthcare records, resumes, and more, which is exactly the kind of information hackers exploit in identity theft. One hack can have a huge ripple effect.
Putting security in your organizations DNA
Your business can also show the importance of employees taking responsibility by:
- Discussing cybersecurity in hiring processes
- Outlining security policies and procedures in the handbook
- Having a clear policy for people bringing in their own devices
- Conducting regular security trainings and tests
Items like these help put security into your companies "DNA" and can help ensure everybody is on the same page and know their responsibilities.
Sharing the cybersecurity load
Ransomware threats are on the rise globally, cybercrime gangs are targeting any weakness, regardless of business size or industry. Enlist your employees in the ongoing fight against hackers.
What are your employee policies in regards to cybersecurity? Reach out and let us know.