10 Security Tech Tips You Should Always Teach Your Employees
Security tech tips are an essential part of any business looking to strengthen cybersecurity efforts. Employees are the cause of some of the biggest security breaches in the working world. It is a huge problem most organizations do not know how to resolve.
Below are 10 easy security tech tips you can adopt and employ to educate your employees and fortify your organization’s security.
RELATED: Information Security Tips for Large Organizations
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WATCH WHAT YOU CLICK
Security awareness has reduced drastically among most employees with the introduction of antivirus software. Heighten your staff’s sense of vigilance by frequently and repeatedly reminding them to not click on unknown links—via email or the web. Disallow the use of apps from unknown sources and remind them to watch out for unusual spelling or the use of special characters within certain links.
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EMPLOY STRONG PASSWORD PROTECTION
Most employees use short or predictable passwords. Make long, complex passwords a mandatory security practice in your company to ensure your first line of defense is as strong as it can be. Tips to remind them of: using long, memorable phrases only employees will know, mixing upper and lower case characters, using numbers and letters, and utilizing special characters—all in random order.
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UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE
If you have to remind them every day, do it because updating is key to staying protected. This is especially important in companies who have a Bring Your Own Device policy (BYOD). Make sure your employees are keeping their antivirus and firewalls up to date across all devices—regardless of Internet connectivity. You can also force updates automatically companywide with the right technology in place.
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BACKUP
This one is as easy as it sounds: backup! Not only should your company’s IT staff be backing up your company data regularly, but you should also encourage your employees to back up their own data, too. This creates double fortification and ensures multiple sources have access to critical data. And, make sure your backups are being tested monthly by humans, not just machines.
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KEEP IT LEGAL
A good tip to avoid being hacked via illegally downloaded software is to lock down your enterprise systems so that users do not have the ability to install any unwanted programs. Regardless, your employees should understand the repercussions of illegal software. Most system threats are disguised as free programs for download on the web or embedded in illegal software—make it clear you do not want the potential for threat on any network devices or terminals.
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SHARING ISN’T ALWAYS CARING
Employees need to understand that sharing login accounts, important credentials, or computing devices is a major obstruction to strong security. Instead, implement role-based access to certain passwords and files and employ guest accounts for instances where outside access is required.
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AVOID UNKNOWN NETWORKS
Most employees will work outside of the office at some point—and they’ll most likely try and connect to whatever WiFi spot they can find. Unknown networks can open the door for man-in-the-middle attacks and significantly heighten your company’s chances of being breached. Hackers can gain access to devices that contain or interface with corporate data. Make it clear to employees that security vulnerability comes from innocuous Internet outside the company and they should only use secure networks when performing work-related tasks.
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BYOD POLICY
If you have a BYOD policy, train employees on the details and specifics. Outline a plan with your IT team to ensure maximum security and determine who among your staff is fit for access, if you should require data as well as application or device restriction, and make management approval a requirement.
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EDUCATE
Simply educate your staff on cybersecurity dangers. Hold regular IT training sessions and challenge their knowledge on your current security practices. Talk about and discuss security on a daily basis to ensure they understand what is expected of them.
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STAY ALERT
Finally, foster a company culture that promotes awareness and camaraderie. Teach employees to not only look out for themselves but for their fellow co-workers, as well. A more alert and aware organization is stronger against security breaches than one that is not.
