Employees are the front line of your practice, and in the cyberworld, it’s no different. They’re the first-line defense against threats such as zero-day attacks and breaches.
Maintaining the integrity of your practice is paramount, whether your practice is large or small.
So how do you ensure your employees’ digital habits are upholding your integrity? These five tips will help.
Instruct Employees About Phishing Scams
Phishing scams often come in the form of an email. Phishers will appear legitimate, and likely have a familiar “sent from” name. Be critical. Scrutinize any email to determine whether it’s:
- Coming from someone you know
- Coming from someone you’ve received mail from before
- Something they were expecting
- Not odd-looking or riddled with unusual spellings or characters
- Passed your anti-virus program test
No Weak Passwords
The best thing for you to do is actually set automatic password policies on systems so that passwords have to be secure. Training on password security can still get employees to understand the dangers of weak passwords. Use long phrases that are memorable to you, and only you. The longer the password, the tougher it is to crack.
Clearly Define & Explain BYOD Cybersecurity Policies
Most companies still have no personal device policy in place. Here are three quick tidbits for you to think about …
- Which employees are eligible for access?
- Should you require data as well as an app or device restriction?
- Management approval should be necessary
No Rogue Downloads
System threats are disguised as programs that are free to download. Employees NEED to know the risks of downloading such software. But better yet, lock down the enterprise system so they don’t have the ability to install them in the first place.
Training, Training, Training!
Meet. Talk. Discuss a cybersecurity strategy. Show them a case study or two of how certain actions led to breaches or attacks on practices. Without discussion, you can’t expect employees to automatically know the ins and outs of running a secure network.
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