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The average employee uses roughly 2.5 devices to work. So imagine an organization with a thousand employees. That’s 2,500 endpoints, or fairly 2,500 other ways an attacker can compromise your organization. Now, as IT and security teams work tirelessly to keep those endpoints secure, it often comes down to employees and how much they understand the value of fine cyber hygiene.
Small mistakes can lead to major data breaches
Last month, we observed one other Safer Internet Month, emphasizing the importance of promoting strong and protected security habits. In fact, Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2023 (DBIR) shows that 74% of cyberattacks are caused by human error.
Consider the 2021 breach Sequoia Capitalfor example. This breach highlights the devastating potential of poor cybersecurity hygiene. Through a successful phishing attempt, attackers were able to expose confidential data from one of Silicon Valley’s oldest and most outstanding enterprise capital firms. However, responsibility for such a breach might be attributed to either the ingenuity of the attacker, the negligence of an worker, or each. In other cases, nonetheless, poor security habits directly affected the security posture of an organization.
In 2020 Marriott International experienced a data breach that affected 5.2 million guests. Attackers used stolen login credentials from two employees to gain access to the hotel servers. The breach illustrates the dangers of weak password policies and the need for strong authentication mechanisms.
These scenarios underscore an necessary lesson: there is no margin for error in cybersecurity. Any small oversight might be exploited, leading to significant and often devastating consequences.
Everyday actions that make a difference
Let’s start with the basics – passwords. The Verizon report also found that stolen or compromised credentials are the leading entry point for data breaches, accounting for 49% of initial system access. Password security is easily ignored, but stays a fundamental and critical approach to securing our systems. Employees needs to be encouraged to use unique, complex passwords for each account, either by themselves or through password managers, to change them commonly. Additionally, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) every time possible.
One of the most significant steps employees can take is to be cautious when sending emails. A serious wrongdoer to be careful for is phishing. Phishing stays one of the commonest methods used by cybercriminals, with around 3.4 billion spam messages sent every day. That signifies that for every 4,200 emails sent, one is likely to be a phishing scam. As seen in the Sequoia breach, these emails often masquerade as legitimate emails from trusted sources. Employees can significantly reduce their risk of phishing attacks by verifying the authenticity of email addresses and avoiding clicking on suspicious links. Additionally, employees also needs to report suspicious emails to IT. Many users simply delete these emails, stopping IT from flagging them in the future.
Regular software updates are one other easy but effective measure that employees can take to increase security. I get it; OS updates alone are hectic, not to mention the dozens of other applications. However, ensuring that our devices and applications are all the time up to date with the latest security patches helps close potential entry points for attackers. Bonus tip: Many updates might be configured to be robotically deployed when you shut down. So, shut down your computer at least once a week.
Another common source of problems is public Wi-Fi. Employees needs to be trained to use encrypted channels, reminiscent of VPNs, when using public Wi-Fi networks, or avoid them altogether if possible. Additionally, employees also needs to pay attention to their surroundings when working with sensitive data in public places, ensuring no snoopers can see the information.
Implementing a Resilient Security Posture
While cyber hygiene and protected habits are key to a resilient security posture, organizations should never put all their eggs in one basket. By leveraging modern solutions and practices, organizations can be certain that safer habits are continually encouraged and supported.
Let’s start with Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solutions. UEM provides a tool for managing devices of various form aspects and operating systems from a single console. This management capability allows administrators to implement policies that be certain that each worker follows protected security practices. For example, UEM can implement password policies that be certain that each worker uses unique and complex passwords and changes them often. On the other hand, UEM network policies can restrict the use of public Wi-Fi networks and be certain that company-owned devices only connect to secure corporate networks.
In addition, UEMs also provide patch management capabilities. This allows administrators to keep every device in the organization, whether it’s in the same office or halfway around the world, patched and updated.
Next up are Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions. These tools manage user identities, ensuring that the right users have access to the right resources. With capabilities like single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and role-based access control (RBAC), IAM ensures that access permissions match an worker’s role in the organization.
The final piece of the puzzle is worker training. However, while the puzzle may have a final piece, worker training is an ongoing process that every organization should make a priority. Simulated phishing attacks, regular workshops, and ongoing awareness campaigns can assist employees turn out to be more aware of the threats lurking around them and empower them to higher counteract such threats.
Little things matter in the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. By fostering a culture of security awareness and leveraging the right tools, firms can build a resilient security posture that protects their endpoints, data, and employees.