Companies have recently begun to realize how vital cybersecurity is and how costly an online breach can be for business. With an increase in cyberattacks occurring since the pandemic began, coupled with the presence of technology in every home, office, and educational institution, it is essential to do everything in your right to prevent your organization from suffering from such an attack. Here are the best cybersecurity tips for all employees to follow.
Keep an Eye on Your Devices
Whether it’s a cell phone, tablet, or laptop, your most trusted devices are at the greatest risk of a cyberattack. This is because all these devices contain sensitive information about yourself and your organization, which is precisely what hackers aim to retrieve.
To ensure that your company is not infiltrated and your information not stolen, keep your devices with you at all times, even when you are at your workplace and home, and make sure they are protected by strong, unique passwords to prevent them from becoming easy targets.
Keep Your Mobile Devices Secure
Although computers hold the most information of an organization, the importance of securing your mobile device should not be taken for granted. Mobile phones carry just as much, if not more, sensitive information which cybercriminals feed off of and, thus, it is necessary to secure them with a strong password. One that is unique and not used on other devices by the same user.
Aside from setting a secure password, users must work to ensure that their mobile devices are regularly cleaned. This means that old, unnecessary, and confidential files must be removed at the earliest convenience. Devices must also be constantly updated to the latest software as older software are easier to bypass due to their vulnerabilities.
Beware of Phishing Attacks
Phishing scams involve sending seemingly authentic emails to individuals which contain sinister links that, when opened, result in sensitive data such as credit card information, passwords, and financial information being sent to the attacker.
To prevent yourself from being a victim of a phishing attack:
- Avoid opening any unsolicited links received in emails.
- Install antivirus and malware detection programs on your devices.
- Ensure a follow-up conversation to verify whether the sender is who they state they are.
- Do not reveal sensitive personal or financial information to anyone over email.
Practice Proper Web Browsing Techniques
Employees must be taught to safely browse the web even in their downtime. This may not seem like much, but it prevents the organization from suffering as a whole due to the mistake of one employee. A few malicious methods which hackers use to target employees are:
- Maladvertising. This involves spreading malware hidden inside ads, downloads, or even embedded links on web pages. Maladvertising can even be found on websites that are considered safe and trustworthy, so maintain caution.
- Social Media Scams. Hackers have utilized a multitude of ways to conduct social media scams over the years through fake web pages, phishing emails, and rogue applications. Even popular websites like Facebook and Twitter have been used to carry out scams that steal your information which is then leaked online or held for ransom.
Employees are thus encouraged to avoid clicking on suspicious links, even on trusted websites, maintain caution with online downloads, and ensure that the website being used is not fraudulent.
Keep a Clean Desk
This may seem an odd way to maintain cybersecurity, but it is effective nonetheless. Employees often make the mistake of keeping sensitive information on their desks unattended and longer than necessary. This leads to a lot of clutter on the desk, which makes it difficult to notice when some valuable information is stolen. Thus, to ensure that no damage is caused due to a messy desk, make sure to:
- Avoid leaving devices unattended.
- Clear out completed work and files to avoid clutter.
- Safely stash away confidential documents in a drawer or locker.
- Avoid writing down information such as passwords or credit card details on post notes and place them on your desk.