IF YOU CONNECT IT, PROTECT IT! STRESS CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS RESPONSIBILITY FOR NCSAM

Cybersecurity can be one of those things that everyone thinks is someone else’s responsibility.

It’s true that the typical employee is not going to be expected to configure a firewall. Your firm may also have managed services that handle things like automated updates. But that doesn’t mean an employee is totally off the hook when it comes to IT security.

Each person that accesses company data or uses a device that’s connected to the internet, has a responsibility to be part of the team effort when it comes to reducing the risk of a data breach, ransomware infection, or other security incident.

The average cost of downtime for a small business is over $10,000 per hour.

The stakes are high for businesses and everyone can be negatively impacted by expensive downtime during a cyberattack.

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) and its theme and key message are perfect for reminding employees of their responsibilities when it comes to helping keep your business safe from a cyberattack.

• NCSAM THEME: DO YOUR PART. #BECYBERSMART
• NCSAM KEY MESSAGE: IT YOU CONNECT IT, PROTECT IT

We’ll go through several resources and tips you can use below to help your employees understand their part as a cybersecurity protector.

BEST PRACTICES EMPLOYEES SHOULD USE FOR DEVICE & ONLINE SECURITY

How can employees be responsible for organizational cybersecurity? By being aware that every click they take makes a difference.

Training employees consistently on cybersecurity reduces the risk of an incident by 40-50%.

Here are best practices for employee devices and online security that can make a big difference for your Tennessee business.

FOLLOW GOOD PASSWORD PRACTICES

Hacked or stolen passwords account for a significant number of security breaches. Employees can help prevent cloud accounts from being breached by ensuring they are using strong passwords.

“Strong” passwords consist of:

• USING AT LEAST ONE NUMBER
• USING AT LEAST ONE SPECIAL CHARACTER
• USING BOTH UPPER-CASE AND LOWER-CASE LETTERS
• MAKING A PASSWORD THAT’S AT LEAST 10 CHARACTERS LONG
• NOT REUSING PASSWORDS BETWEEN ACCOUNTS.

Hand out this NCSAM Passwords Tip Sheet.

USE SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBLY

Social media is often used by employees while connected to company networks, which can lead to cybersecurity issues if it isn’t used responsibly. It can also be a source of “oversharing” and divulging sensitive company or customer details.

It’s important to know the risks that social media poses and use it responsibly, especially when at work.

Safe social tips include:

• BEING CAREFUL WHAT MAY BE SHOWING IN THE BACKGROUND OF A PICTURE YOU POST THAT’S TAKEN AT WORK
• BEING AWARE THAT PHISHING IS OFTEN DONE OVER SOCIAL MEDIA
• USE PRIVACY SETTINGS TO RESTRICT WHO CAN ACCESS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEED
• BE WARY OF DIRECT MESSAGES FROM STRANGERS

Hand out this NCSAM Social Media Security Tip Sheet

STAY ALERT FOR PHISHING EMAILS

Phishing emails are the main delivery method for most types of cyberattacks. Employees are on the front line when it comes to phishing and it’s their responsibility to look carefully at emails, especially those that are unexpected or from unknown parties.

Employers can help their team out by running simulated phishing drills to help hone employee skills. Phishing is becoming increasingly sophisticated and more difficult to detect from the real thing.

Some tips for detecting phishing emails include:

• HOVER OVER LINKS WITHOUT CLICKING TO REVEAL THE URL
• DON’T VISIT LOGIN FORMS, TRACKING, OR ORDER LINKS FROM EMAILS, INSTEAD GO DIRECTLY TO A WEBSITE
• VIEW THE SOURCE CODE OF THE MESSAGE TO SEE IF THE SENDING EMAIL ADDRESS MATCHES THE “FROM” ADDRESS
• LOOK FOR ANY SLIGHT GRAMMAR ERRORS OR MISSPELLINGS

Hand out this NCSAM Phishing Tip Sheet.

HOME SECURITY FOR REMOTE WORKERS

Many companies had to adapt to having employees work from home due to the pandemic, and many are keeping some remote teams in place.

It’s harder for a company to control network security when an employee works from home, so it’s important for each remote worker to do their part.

Home security tips for remote workers include:

• ENSURING YOUR HOME ROUTER HAS A STRONG PASSWORD
• PUTTING WORK-RELATED DEVICES ON A “GUEST” NETWORK, SEPARATE FROM OTHER POTENTIALLY LESS SECURE DEVICES
• USING A COMPUTER THAT HAS ANTIVIRUS PROTECTION AND IS UPDATED REGULARLY
• INSTALLING MOBILE ANTI-MALWARE ON ANY MOBILE DEVICES USED FOR WORK

Hand out this NCSAM Digital Home Security Tip Sheet.

TAKE PROPER PRECAUTIONS WHEN TRAVELING

When traveling, employees are often connecting to their work email and cloud apps from a mobile device, which could be using a free, unsecure Wi-Fi.

Mobile device security is important anytime, and especially when away from home or work.

Mobile security tips include:

• NOT ALLOWING MOBILE DEVICES TO AUTO-CONNECT TO UNKNOWN NETWORKS
• USING A VPN TO ENCRYPT DATA TRAFFIC
• USING A SCREEN LOCK
• ENABLING A “FIND MY DEVICE” FEATURE THAT ALLOWS REMOTE WIPE OR LOCK

Hand out this NCSAM Cybersecurity While Traveling Tip Sheet.

AUTOMATE CYBERSECURITY PROTECTIONS WITH A MANAGED SERVICES PLAN

Unbound Digital can help your Tennessee business enjoy automated cybersecurity protections like update/patch management and ongoing threat monitoring.

Contact us today to sign up for managed IT services. Call 423-335-2461 or reach us online.