-
Watch Out For Social Engineering.
Social engineering is where hackers use psychological manipulation to dupe a victim into giving out sensitive information, and it can come in various forms. These criminals want to gain your trust, ultimately leading you to let your guard down.
A popular example of a social engineering scam is phishing where an email is sent to the employee requiring immediate action on their part, such as a required password change. The email will include a link to an illegitimate website that is nearly identical in appearance to its legitimate version.
Therefore, employees must be always alert and learn how to spot typical social engineering schemes.
-
Keep ALL Devices And Applications Up-To-Date.
Cybercriminals can exploit the susceptibilities of out-of-date devices and applications and, unfortunately, many employees do not know how important updates are. ALL updates are CRUCIAL and must be done IMMEDIATELY to help keep hackers out.
-
Create Strong Passwords.
Passwords should be at least eight characters long, should employ a variation of characters including upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters (!@#$%), and should NEVER be reused – and ALWAYS remember to turn on 2FA (two-factor authentication) whenever possible. We get it, it can be hard to remember all those passwords but using a password manager (such as LastPass or 1Password) helps!]
-
Do Not Access Company Data On Public WiFi.
If working remotely, avoid using public WiFi. But if you have limited options, the use of a VPN can help keep company data out of the hands of hackers no matter where employees get their work done.
-
Learn How To Spot An Attack.
Most attacks are sent to would-be victims in emails, making it necessary for employees to get cybersecurity awareness training so they know what signs to look out for when going through their inboxes. Common “red flags” in malicious emails include scare tactics and intense urgency, vague greetings (“Hello Customer”), incorrect grammar, and spelling mistakes. Also, a good habit is to always hover over links before clicking on them.
You must train ALL your employees on cybersecurity awareness and how they can do their part to keep company data out of the hands of cyber thieves.
