Cybersecurity threats Archives

Top Errors to Avoid in Training Cybersecurity for Staff

Posted on December 6, 2023December 6, 2023 by Keenan Budd

Hacker techniques get more sophisticated with technological improvements. To keep our data safe, we must stay up-to-date with constantly changing tactics. Employees must have regular training on cybersecurity to accomplish this. Research shows that a proficient training approach can decrease susceptibility to phishing and related cyberattacks from 60% to 10% in a single year.

Seven Typical Errors in Training Cybersecurity

There are many ways to maximize every training session. Today, though, we’ll concentrate on what you SHOULDN’T do because they undermine the training. We cover the top mistakes to avoid below.

Boring training classes

Understandably, your staff would drop off during the first few minutes of a training session that comprises primarily text-heavy slide exhibits with someone reading the written material aloud. They will not only get disinterested, but they will also obtain no benefit from the instruction. Instead, take a more interesting tack. Swap out text with images. Promote conversational exchanges. Perform some group tasks.

Same Course of Study for All

Every organization has a range of skill levels among its members. Some people could be more knowledgeable and up-to-date on the newest trends in cybersecurity. The term “phishing” may be unknown to some of your staff. That’s the reason a training program designed for everyone will inevitably fail. Everybody has a different level; therefore, you must coach them appropriately.

One-Time Course on Training Cybersecurity

Many people think it is smart to group all the learning topics into a single training session, but this is untrue. As much value as possible can fit into one session, but a follow-up is still necessary. Even better, make sure to offer several follow-ups. The best way to ensure that the lessons stick is through continuous reinforcement.

Put Office Cybersecurity First

Yes, it is crucial to use caution when using the internet at work. However, most businesses have staff members who work remotely part-time, full-time, or in a hybrid work environment. Since this is now the standard, you must include mobile security in the training program.

insufficient support from the leaders

It is a common belief that kids imitate their parents’ conduct. This effect also holds for subordinates and their bosses. Senior executives ought to be putting what they are teaching workers to use.

Disregarding incident response instruction

Yes, prevention is preferable to cure. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t discuss how to deal with cyberattacks when they occur. Workers must know what to do when there is a data breach to limit the damage as soon as possible and stop it from escalating.

Not Making a Correct Assessment

After the facilitator concludes, the cybersecurity training never ends. Effective evaluation techniques must measure the participants’ knowledge of what they have learned. Standardized Q&A quizzes or haphazard phishing simulations could gauge how and whether staff members will put their newly gained knowledge to use.

Final Reflections on Training Cybersecurity

Remind your workers to avoid these mistakes at their next cybersecurity training. Plan the training program thoroughly to ensure it has the best possible impact.

Even better, you may train your personnel using tried-and-true methods developed by reputable and well-established cybersecurity professionals. We are here to assist you with that.

We are happy to introduce our micro training platform, the newest tool in staff cybersecurity training. This approach addresses every significant facet of internet security, from threat detection to incident handling and all points in between. You can download a demo by visiting this link if you’d like to learn more.

Educating Your Staff to Spot Social Engineering

Posted on November 16, 2023November 16, 2023 by Keenan Budd

One of the newest techniques used by hackers to gain private data is social engineering. This method uses human psychology to gather data rather than simply attacking a system. When you consider it, this approach is quite brilliant because it avoids having to go through strict network security. Someone will literally hand the information to the hackers on a silver platter if they can trick even one employee, and they will take over the organization’s entire system. That is why it is important to train your employees on how to spot social engineering.

Businesses need to be aware of how social engineering can seriously jeopardize security. Over 90% of data breaches, according to reports, result from social engineering. Of these cases, 54% involve phishing scams. The good news is that you can avoid most social engineering threats by training your staff members.

Common Social Engineering Methods

There is a lot to cover when teaching employees how to spot social engineering. Discussing the most common strategies would be a reasonable place to start so that staff members can identify and steer clear of them.

The most popular technique is phishing because it is simple to carry out. It produces incredibly fruitful outcomes, at least for the hackers. This technique involves sending emails that trick recipients into clicking a harmful link or disclosing private information without realizing it.

Pretexting is when a hacker manipulates a pretext or made-up scenario to acquire the victim’s trust as part of a more complex social engineering attack strategy. The hacker might trick the victim into disclosing information for something in the quid pro quo attack. Another common way to spot social engineering involves tailgating or piggybacking, in which the victim unwittingly grants the hacker access to a secure site.

Training of Employees is Important to Spot Social Engineering

As you can expect, if your staff wasn’t properly trained or aware of the hazards to spot them, these social engineering tactics would be considerably simpler to implement. The $100 million phishing fraud on Google and Facebook is an example of the immense harm that could result. A group of hackers repeatedly sent phishing emails from 2013 to 2015 to Google and Facebook workers, instructing them to deposit money into phony accounts. Through this technique, they could gain more than $100 million.

Now, even if your company doesn’t bring in that much money, you can still fall victim. Hackers attack small firms on a large scale these days. Every employee of your company, from customer service representatives to top executives, might be a target, so you need to implement training across the board.

Best Practices to Spot Social Engineering for Employees

There are various ways to teach your staff about how to spot social engineering. A thorough training session works best in a traditional classroom setting, whether in person or online. But a single seminar is not sufficient, which is why we also advise frequent refreshers.

Unannounced phishing simulations are excellent for gauging how much a worker has learned. You’d be astonished at how many individuals perform admirably in theory but cannot recognize the truth when it is staring them in the face in their email. Your staff will learn to be more watchful going forward after experiencing being bitten during a simulated attack.

Final Reflections

If everyone in the organization is adequately aware of the risks and knows what to do if an attack is successful, organizations can attain a high level of protection against social engineering. Along with the many training techniques you’ll use, we strongly suggest that you download our infographic, “The Top 10 Steps to Take If You Think You Have Been Hacked.” Post it on the bulletin boards in each department by printing it out. Ensure that every member of your staff receives a copy as well.

Call us if you’d like to learn more about how to spot social engineering and how to prevent becoming a victim. We can keep your business safe from the prying eyes of cybercriminals and bring you up to speed on the most recent preventive measures.

Is Your Company Prepared for a Security Incident?

Posted on October 24, 2023October 24, 2023 by Keenan Budd

Every 14 seconds, a new incident related to cybersecurity occurs. The widespread belief that only large corporations are the targets of hacking attacks couldn’t be further from the truth. Everyone, from large global organizations to small local businesses, might now be a potential target. Because there is no obvious pattern to the attacks, it is difficult to determine who the next victim will be. Every firm needs to have a Plan B in place in case there is a breach in their network security, and they must cope with the aftermath of a security incident.

The Importance of Having a Response Plan in Case of a Security Incident

When confronted with an online threat, having a prepared reaction in the event of a security issue will save you valuable time. The framework for the plan is already in place. You only need to put the plans into action, and there won’t be any need for guesswork or pointless delays that could cost you a lot of money.

Besides preventing more data loss or system damage, minimizing downtime, reducing financial losses, and helping to preserve your reputation among customers and clients, an incident response plan, also known as a data breach response plan, is one name for this type of strategy. Naturally, it also assists your company in regaining its footing as quickly as possible.

The Process of Developing an Emergency Action Plan

Developing a security incident response plan is time-consuming and must be in place before any potential security breach. It is not something that you can delay until the very last minute, even when there is an immediate threat. Therefore, we will outline the primary actions that need to be carried out.

1. Put together a team to deal with the security incident.

Choose knowledgeable people who can start acting immediately in the event of an emergency. Check to see that everyone is aware of the responsibilities they have. When required, seek support from outside sources.

2. Always make a copy of your data.

Data is often the target of breaches since the goal is typically to either steal the data, destroy it, or gain unauthorized access for harmful reasons. If something untoward occurs with your data, you should always have a safe backup to fall back on.

3. Keep a close eye on your system.

With vigilant monitoring, it will notify you of online hazards before they become more severe. Systems that manage security information and events, known as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), as well as big data analytics, can provide timely detection to protect your system and limit damage.

4. Make plans for unforeseen circumstances.

When a security incident happens, these are the steps and procedures that need to be carried out. These would make up a significant portion of the incident response plan that your company has in place. In this section, you are required to provide all the procedures necessary to turn off the system, contain the damage, evaluate it, and alert customers of the situation.

5. Engage in some mock-up exercises.

The act of putting one’s plans and strategies into action differs significantly from simply preparing a response. You are required to not only train your staff on what to do in the event of a security breach but also to do regular simulations of such scenarios. This will hone their replies and teach them to approach the problem with composure, which will be beneficial when dealing with it.

6. Perform checks and updates regularly.

The dangers posed by cybersecurity are evolving. A foolproof method right now may be useless in a few short months. To maintain the usefulness and applicability of your security incident response plan, it is important to check it regularly and change variable parts such as contact details, processes, and technology as required.

Strengthen Your Defenses in the Face of Security Incident

It is critical to be ready to respond in any situation. This step is the tip of the iceberg for your cybersecurity plan. There are many additional ways to strengthen the defenses of your firm, such as by providing regular training to your personnel and raising their awareness about the significance of cybersecurity. You can also impose a stringent Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, tighten the perimeter of your IT infrastructure, and restrict access to sensitive data.

Using privately held technology for professional purposes has given rise to several current security incident concerns. Implementing a detailed Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy that includes specific rules, restrictions, and consequences is one way to reduce the possibility of incidents like this. You do not know how to start from scratch when making a policy. We have a BYOD policy template you can download for free and then modify as needed for the requirements of your business. Call us now if you need additional help!

The Seven Mobile Security Threats to Your BYOD Policy

Posted on October 17, 2023October 17, 2023 by Keenan Budd

Bring Your Own Device, also known as BYOD, is an emerging trend in the workplace that encourages workers to use their own personal electronic devices, such as cellphones, laptops, tablets, and so on, for business purposes. This policy contrasts with the conventional practice of relying solely on the tools and resources provided by one’s employer for professional purposes which can also have Mobile Security Threats.

The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy offers several benefits, including increased flexibility in remote work, improved work-life balance, and lower overall costs associated with equipment. However, doing business in this manner presents a few issues, most notably about your security.

When employees use the same device for all their dealings, it could present various mobile security concerns that the organization must address in the BYOD policy. Those mobile security threats could compromise the company’s data. The following are seven of the most significant dangers, followed by the solutions we offer.

Mobile Security Threats – Theft of Electronics

If devices are lost or stolen, there is a possibility that individuals or organizations may get unauthorized access to sensitive information saved on the device. To prevent this, there needs to be a method that can wipe data entirely and remotely from the device in question.

Infection with Malware

Malware can cause a data breach, and a slew of other security issues, very quickly. You can avoid this for your organization if you equip all privately owned devices with dependable and up-to-date antivirus software to protect against the threat of malware infection.

Unsecured Wi-Fi Encryption is essential for ensuring the privacy and safety of one’s data, and as a result, most workplaces and private homes have implemented it. However, this is not the case with public hotspots. Use a virtual private network, or VPN, to protect your data if you need to connect to an untrusted network.

Mobile Security Threats – The Practice of Phishing

When compared to using a computer at work, people’s behavior on their personal mobile devices is noticeably more relaxed. Because of this, many people are vulnerable to falling prey to phishing scams. The staff would benefit from constant reminders to help establish a natural caution in them.

Outdated Technology

Some employees are not huge tech nerds and would not be in line the second the newest iPhone was available. Many people will continue using outdated technology even after it becomes technically impossible. That they are so economical is admirable, but using antiquated technology puts business and personal information at serious risk. In your bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy, you might stipulate that all devices that workers want to use for work must undergo regular and necessary upgrades.

Apps That Could Be Dangerous

Many users frequently install games and other applications that may not be secure on personal smartphones and laptops. These applications will ask for permissions, some of which could endanger the data on your device. Because of the potential for such dangers, the BYOD policy must forbid both the installation and usage of applications that are not confirmed safe.

Data That Is Not Encrypted

When sending electronic correspondence from a computer at work, it automatically encrypts the data to ensure it remains private. Your data is at risk of being compromised on public hotspots and some home networks because these may not have enough encryption protection. You can avoid a breach by requiring encryption on all corporate data before sending it out into the world.

Developing a Bring Your Own Device Policy for Mobile Security Threats

Creating a BYOD policy for the first time can be overwhelming. For example, the mobile dangers we have described above are just some of the potential concerns you would have to deal with, and we are sure that you would think of even more as you move along the process.

We highly recommend that you use the BYOD policy template that we have developed expressly for this aim. Using this template will ensure that you do not overlook any significant aspect of the policy. The document covers permitted devices, security specs, prohibitions, and punishments. This document is both exhaustive and succinct. Feel free to modify it as needed to meet your security goals. Call us now if you need additional help!

Why It’s Important to Have Cybersecurity Insurance

Posted on October 4, 2023July 8, 2024 by Keenan Budd

The importance of cybersecurity insurance measures cannot be overstated. The transition of organizations into a digital environment coincides with an increase in the sophistication of online attacks. In the past, hackers would target large, high-revenue corporations because these businesses both had significant amounts of money and important information. However, over forty percent of recent cyberattacks were aimed at small enterprises. Even more concerning is that just 14% of these small enterprises are prepared to defend themselves against such an assault.

Purchase of Cybersecurity Insurance is an investment that is both prudent and essential

Businesses are already taking increasingly strict precautions to protect their operations from the dangers posed by Internet activities. Despite your best efforts, malicious software and ransomware could still infiltrate your system, and unauthorized access to your data could still occur. You must purchase a solid cybersecurity insurance policy for your company if you want to shield it from the myriad of consequences that can result from attacks like this.

Even though cybersecurity insurance cannot stop or reverse the effects of cybercrime, it can assist your company during the recovery process if an attack happens online.

Reduce the Risk of Monetary Losses with Cybersecurity Insurance

The costs associated with dealing with the fallout of a cyberattack might be significant. Your company could suffer a loss of millions of dollars because of the attack, depending on how severe it is. You will pay for services such as damage control, damage prevention, and legal representation. A comprehensive plan can cover these costs and a great deal more.

Cover Losses Incurred During Downtime

Again, the speed with which you can get your company back on its feet will be directly proportional to the severity of the crisis. You may get by until your company has fully recovered with the help of insurance while it is rebuilding or when operations are stopped.

Fill the Void in Your General Liability Insurance Coverage

When shopping for a plan for general liability insurance, many owners of businesses make the mistake of assuming that this protects them against cyberattacks. However, this is rarely the case. Even though standard plans might provide some coverage, that protection is rarely sufficient. A standalone cybersecurity insurance policy will provide you with the most comprehensive coverage available for your company.

Help with Recuperation

Today, many cybersecurity insurance policies offer more than just cash help. Many service providers offer a comprehensive recovery package that contains services such as legal representation, damage control for public relations, and computer forensics. You can get each of these services from a different supplier; however, why put yourself through the hassle when you can get them all from the same location?

Cost-Effective Solutions with a High Level of Protection

Insurance companies will typically offer relatively affordable premiums to customers who have an effective cybersecurity strategy in place. The purpose of this is to encourage businesses to place a higher priority on cybersecurity and to develop improved methods. If you want to take advantage of our lower prices, it is in your best interest to increase the amount of protection you have as soon as possible.

Methods That Prove to Boost Online Safety and Security

As most of us know, there are many approaches to improving cybersecurity in the workplace. First, you need to provide frequent training for your staff members. This is because a lack of understanding is still the most common factor that allows hackers to penetrate computer systems. You should also install multi-factor authentication, safeguard your networks, and maintain continuous updates to any anti-malware technologies you use.

Policy for Users to Bring Their Own Devices

Bring-your-own-device policies, often known as BYOD policies, can boost the cybersecurity of your firm. Implement these policies in the workplace. For utilizing privately owned devices to access company data and other uses of the device while at work. This policy should clearly outline the duties of your firm and the individual as well.

You may use our BYOD Policy template, which you can get by clicking right here, to ensure that your company’s BYOD policy contains all the components. This can be done by ensuring that you use our template here. You are free to change it in any way you see fit to bring it into line with the activities and objectives of your organization.

A Few Parting Thoughts For Cybersecurity Insurance

A company must take all the steps to improve its cybersecurity. However, regardless of how formidable your defenses may be, you should never allow yourself to become complacent. The best thing you can do to safeguard your company is to be sure it has a cybersecurity insurance plan. Call us now if you have additional questions about Cybersecurity Insurance.

Tag: Cybersecurity threats