The unfortunate truth about cybersecurity is this – you’re only as strong as your weakest link. With the number of phishing and social engineering attacks skyrocketing, the evidence is clear; All it takes is one slip up for hackers to potentially gain access to your system. The University of Vermont Medical Health Network hack late last year forced the network’s flagship hospital to use pen and paper to log appointments, caused an estimated $63 million in losses, and caused Vermont’s governor to deploy the Army National Guard’s Combined Cyber Response Team. And how were hackers able to infect 5,000 of the network’s computers with ransomware? They gained access to just one.
The number one threat to your safety
You might be surprised to find out that the main culprit in cyber-attacks is not ultra-sophisticated hacking techniques but simple human error. According to a Gallagher survey, an estimated 60% of all attacks are caused by user mistakes. Of course, hackers know this well and spend a considerable amount of their efforts attempting to dupe, distract, and confuse users into making these fatal mistakes. This is why one of the most crucial yet overlooked cybersecurity defense measures a business can invest in is a well-trained staff.
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In 2021, with remote work a must and emerging technologies like IoT (internet-of-things) being utilized more frequently, employees are being tasked with handling more and more of their own safety on a daily basis, whether they know it or not. As the workplace becomes more technologically advanced and less centralized, companies can no longer afford to treat being cybersecurity savvy as a special skill. It must be considered a core element of workforce training.
Awareness is the answer!
Bottom line, if you run a business of any size, it is crucial that top-to-bottom your employees have at the very least basic training on the following:
• What to look out for in terms of unsafe web addresses, spoofed sites, and malicious pop-ups
• How to spot social engineering attack attempts
• The ins and outs of phishing, malware, ransomware, etc.
• How to create strong passwords and use multi-factor authentication
• Industry-specific regulatory standards like HIPAA, DFARS, or FISMA
• The difference between secure and unsecured networks
• How to utilize security tools like VPN
How an MSP can help
If a business needs to get their staff up to speed ASAP to avoid the potentially devastating effects of user error, where can they turn? Many are looking to Managed Service Providers (MSP) like Logic Speak to offer one-on-one cybersecurity expertise to senior-level executives as well as ongoing safety training for the entire workforce. Because MSPs come stocked with experienced professionals who not only have many years of cybersecurity experience but follow hacking trends and security solution updates closely, they are an asset to any business.
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