4 simple steps to encourage online safety at your company
Raise security awareness in your organization. You’ll protect your employees and your business. Get started with these online safety tips.
The internet has revolutionized how we do business, stay in touch, and shop. As we upload more of our lives onto the internet, we put more of ourselves at risk. A little security goes a long way in protecting what we do online. Here are four quick tips to start encouraging online safety in your workplace.
1. Join the conversation
The best fix for insecurity is knowledge. Raise awareness about personal online security concerns such as password security, social engineering, and application hacks by sharing knowledge around the office. Start a discussion in your organization about how to best protect important resources from online threats.
There are opportunities to talk about security at every level. Add a bullet point or a few slides to weekly team meeting PowerPoints, send a newsletter or two, and share articles around the office. Follow the #cyberaware hashtag, and participate in the conversation.
2. Use your tools
Security isn’t free, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are a wide variety of tools available to help prevent costly incidents that don’t cost a lot themselves. There are free antivirus and antimalware solutions that can keep personal computers free from worms and spyware.
For password security, there are free password safes that allow users to use robust and unique passwords on websites. Developers also have access to security features built into common frameworks, and switching from an insecure to a secure method is a matter of a few keystrokes. Dig into the options that are available, and encourage everyone to spend that penny of prevention to prevent the need for a pound of cure.
3. Update your software
Old software is insecure software. The longer a piece of software has been around, the more time attackers have had to find vulnerabilities that they can exploit. Now is as good a time as any to check the National Vulnerability Database for known vulnerabilities in software that you use. Developers can also check the National Vulnerability Database for vulnerabilities in the libraries or frameworks that they use when building their applications.
Exploits of old software have resulted in some of the largest breaches in recent history. However, old versions of web browsers and out-of-date operating systems can lead to breaches on a smaller scale.
4. Get some extra help
Security is too big of a topic to tackle alone. Bringing in an expert not only covers gaps in your own experience but can also help ease the workload associated with doing security checks. From securing your home network and locking your phone to running network scans and analyzing your organization’s applications, a little extra expertise can go a long way.
Summing it up
Start the conversation and raise security awareness in your organization. You’ll protect your employees and your business. The more you know, the safer you are.
