Protecting Your Business: Empowering Employees with Cybersecurity Knowledge
Moving into 2025 we need to take cybersecurity threats more serious than ever because they are more prevalent than ever. Businesses invest heavily in sophisticated security measures, but a critical often-overlooked aspect is the security awareness of their employees and how teaching them at their level about cyber security for their personal lives can also translate into better cyber security hygiene for your organization. By empowering employees with cybersecurity knowledge, businesses can significantly strengthen their overall security posture.
The Importance of Home Cybersecurity
I have preached cyber security to my family, family friends and members of other personal groups I attend for the last 20 years. Something that gets me every time I bring this up is how some, even those that work in C level positions in major companies, don’t have good cyber security hygiene at home. This is indicative of just not having the knowledge passed to them in any aspect of their professional careers.
The line between personal and professional lives has blurred in the past 5 years, with many employees working remotely or using personal devices for work purposes. This makes home cybersecurity a crucial component of overall business security. By educating employees on best practices for securing their home networks and devices, businesses can reduce the risk of data breaches and other cyberattacks.
Key Areas of Focus:
- Digital Hygiene:
- Password Management: Encourage employees to use strong, unique passwords for each online account. A reliable password manager can simplify this process and enhance security. If they reuse passwords for their personal use, they will find a way to continue the practice in their business use.
- Online Shopping: Advise employees to be cautious when shopping online, especially on unfamiliar websites. They should verify the website’s security certificate and avoid sharing personal information with untrusted sources.
- AI and Deepfakes: Explain the potential dangers of AI-generated content, such as deepfakes. Encourage employees to be skeptical of online information and verify the source before sharing or acting on it.
- Family Cybersecurity:
- Shared Passwords: Discourage the practice of sharing passwords with family members. This can lead to increased risk if one account is compromised.
- Financial Security: Emphasize the importance of strong password protection for online banking and financial services. Consider using a family password manager to securely store sensitive information.
- Family Password: I encourage all my friends and family to have a family safe word or family password that is only known to maybe the grandparents, parents and children. As these deepfakes get more sophisticated its important to have a password or safe word for you to ask someone if you get that distressed call saying they need money in an unusual circumstance.
- Third-Party Trust:
- Vendor Vetting: Explain how trust in personal third-party services can influence business relationships. Encourage employees to choose reputable providers with strong security practices.
- Data Privacy: Discuss the importance of understanding privacy policies and terms of service for third-party apps and services.
Benefits of Employee Cybersecurity Training:
- Reduced Risk of Data Breaches: By educating employees, businesses can minimize the likelihood of human error, a common cause of data breaches.
- Enhanced Brand Reputation: Strong cybersecurity practices can help protect a company’s reputation and customer trust.
- Increased Productivity: A secure work environment can boost employee morale and productivity.
- Using their Home to Increase Business Security: when you teach them to be more cyber security aware in their personal lives it will increase their cyber security awareness in their professional careers
By investing in employee cybersecurity training, businesses can create a more secure digital ecosystem and protect their valuable assets.