Data risk is one of the biggest threats to businesses today. In fact, according to a recent study, data losses cost companies an average of over $4 million per incident. And that’s just for the largest organizations in America: smaller firms can expect to pay twice as much or more when they suffer a data breach.
The reason behind this astronomical figure? The fact that data breaches are becoming more and more common, as cyber criminals become more sophisticated in their methods.
What Is the Main Way Hackers Get Into Your Systems?
One of the most common ways that cyber criminals gain access to company data is through employees. Whether it’s through malicious intent or simply careless mistakes, employees are often the weakest link in your IT security infrastructure.
Human error can come in many forms, from downloading a malicious email attachment to clicking on a phishing link. But no matter how it happens, the end result is always the same: sensitive data falls into the wrong hands.
3 Ways Employees Put Your IT at Risk
So, what are the most common ways that your employees put your data at risk, and how can you combat them?
Let’s take a look:
1. Downloading Unsafe Email Attachments
Email attachments are one of the most common methods that cyber criminals use to infect companies with malware. In fact, 94% of all malware is delivered via email.
The best way to combat this threat is through employee education. You should train your employees on cyber safety and how to spot unsafe email attachments, and make sure they know never to download anything from an unknown sender. You should also consider investing in email filtering software, which can block dangerous attachments before they ever reach your employees’ inboxes.
2. Clicking on Phishing Links
Phishing is a type of cyber attack that involves sending fraudulent emails that appear to be from a legitimate source. These emails often contain links that, when clicked, lead to malicious websites that can infect your systems with malware.
To combat this threat, you should train your employees on how to spot phishing emails and make sure they know never to click on any links from an unknown sender. You should also consider investing in email filtering software that can block phishing emails before they ever reach your employees’ inboxes.
3. Using Unsafe Passwords
Another common way that cyber criminals gain access to company data is by guessing or brute-forcing passwords. This is especially common if employees are using weak or easily guessed passwords.
To combat this threat, you should make sure your employees are using strong passwords that are difficult to guess. You should also consider investing in a password manager, which can help your employees keep track of their passwords and ensure they’re using different passwords for different accounts.
Bottom Line
Data security is a major concern for businesses of all sizes. And while there are many threats to your data, one of the most common is through your employees. Whether it’s through malicious intent or simply careless mistakes, employees are often the weakest link in your IT security infrastructure.
To protect your data, you should train your employees on how to spot unsafe email attachments and phishing emails, and make sure they know never to download anything from an unknown sender or click on any links from an unknown sender. You should also consider investing in email filtering software and a password manager, which can help block dangerous emails and protect your passwords, respectively.
