Cyber-attacks continue to rise in the workplace, and it is becoming more important for every business to train their workers to be extra vigilant and protect sensitive data and passwords, as well as recognize any threats. Regardless of the size of the organization, all employees should be taught the importance of keeping their workplace secure.

A survey performed by Dell End-User Security recently showed that around 72% of employees would be open to sharing confidential information about the company they work for without considering the protocols for data security. It is important to make cybersecurity education a regular part of the culture in any workplace. To do this, it needs to go beyond a simple one-time seminar and be a continuous initiative.

Granted, it can be difficult to create a security culture in a business. The same survey above showed that 65% of people interviewed recognize it is their responsibility to keep confidential information protected, but they state that security measures being used limit how productive they are. Even among those employees that receive cybersecurity training through their job, around 24% stated they continue to use unsafe behaviors to finish their tasks.

It can be hard to find the balance between protecting company data and helping your employees stay productive. To do this, it is necessary for a company to create clear, simple policies that can address any potential breaches.

The survey also found that is common in the workplace to have data storage, sharing, and accessing that is unsafe. Around 46% of employees admit to accessing confidential information over a public Wi-Fi, and around 49% admit to using their personal email for work. According to the survey, around 35% of employees say it is common for them to take company information with them when they leave the company.

The survey goes a long way to show just how much work needs to go into training employees in cybersecurity. To do this, many companies need to create a culture of cybersecurity, meaning they need to bring the cybersecurity best practices into their risk management department and out of the IT department. Preparing your team to respond effectively to cyber threats is a relatively new business practice, so expect for it to take some time to become a widespread change in your organization.

Many companies are now instituting cybersecurity training programs for their employees. These programs can make a huge difference. In fact, one Midwest energy firm found that after the training, security incidents reduced around 80%.

Some of the things companies need to talk with their employees about frequently are:

• Keeping their machine clean, including the data, apps, and programs employees can install on work computers.
• Using passwords that are difficult to hack by making them strong and long, and by using letters that are uppercase and lowercase along with symbols and numbers. It is also important to change passwords routinely.
• The importance of trashing any links that are suspicious in attachments, messages, emails, posts, and tweets, regardless of whether they know the source or not.
• Remembering to keep all work backed up according to the company’s policies.
• Notifying someone if they notice things out of place on their computer.

By taking steps to teach your employees about cybersecurity in your company, you will go a long way in keeping your company safe from cyber attacks. If you would like more information on protecting your company from cyber attacks, contact us at IT solutions Birmingham AL. We can walk you through steps to help keep your company safe.