According to IT experts, a single data breach will cost an American business nearly $8 million. There is also additional damage to reputation that even a dollar amount cannot calculate. It’s a chilling reality that data breaches have an undeniable effect as the vulnerabilities extend far beyond a workplace environment. A cybercriminal also gains far more than direct access to company files as customer accounts contain a cache of information like passwords and financial data. Here are seven effective ways to stop your employees from causing security breaches.
1. Perform Routine Risk Assessments
IT specialists like https://bctconsulting.com/merced-it-support-services/ are routinely consulted to perform routine risk assessments to find hacker vulnerabilities. Risk assessments investigate both in-house and remotely to gain insight into accessibility routes. There is also an assessment of security practices and data storage methods. When you are able to identify the risks, you can directly implement an effective solution.
2. Upgrade Software Applications
Some companies, most notably those without in-house IT teams, install software and forget to upgrade it regularly. This is a huge security risk as updates are meant to fix or overcome current vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals use intricate tools to find vulnerable websites, so you want to be proactive in ensuring your network is safe and secure.
3. Increase Network Security
Employees often unknowingly click on links or reply to phishing scams. These activities provide cybercriminals the pathway to your servers. To ensure you are proactive, make sure to implement policies where all employee equipment connected to the network is scanned for malware, passwords meet proficient standards, and data encryption is used to prevent hackers from getting access to network data through malicious software.
4. Educate Employees About Security Protocol
Training is the best way to ensure your employees are following policy and procedure. Teaching staff to adhere to security practices will give them the information they need to avoid costly security mistakes. Security training should also be routine so that your employees know of on-going security breaches, vulnerabilities, and hacker threats.
5. Implement WAF
Utilizing a web application firewall (WAF) will protect your web server from hackers. This type of application also filters spam, which reduces the chance of exposing sensitive corporate data through any office and cloud-based connectivity. As the program collects all the data, IT can study it and find innovative new ways to elevate your protection.
6. Avoid Auto-Fill Forms
As a digital workplace is now a part of most company environments, you need to make sure workers have the right technology in place to protect them and enable them to do their jobs. You also need to ensure that they don’t have access to applications that increase vulnerabilities like auto-fill forms that increase the likelihood of breaches.
7. Utilize User Accessibility Protocol
Department heads have the most considerable control over who gets access to what data. Limiting accessibility and setting strict protocol will significantly reduce the chance of a cyber attack. Using account lockout protocol after several failed employee log-in attempts will also help you reduce unauthorized users gaining control of an account.
You don’t want to wait until after you suffer a security breach to take action. Working with IT professionals to train your employees and strengthen your network will avert cyber threats.
