The increased level of global connectivity provides a wealth of wonderful benefits to business owners everywhere, and without it, the prospect of remote working would have been even more insufferable throughout the early stages of the 2020s.
That said, with the rise of remote working and digital connectivity comes a much more sinister threat: cybercrime.
A familiar concept in theory, but this is not the same form of cybercrime that hung around back in the 1970s.
Interestingly enough, not all cybercrime is intentional, particularly in forms like data exfiltration.
If you feel you could be doing more to protect your own business from data theft and other online threats, the answer could lie with your employees.
Who is at Risk?
Companies that rely heavily on a remote workforce or carry out much of their operations in a digital capacity may be slightly more susceptible to a cyber-attack since they need to spend more time in the digital world.
Businesses that possess high-value digital assets are potentially at a greater risk of falling victim to data exfiltration, but it can still happen to anyone, so it might be worth checking Proofpoint for some greater insight into what the crime entails.
Malicious or Not?
Employees using their own equipment to access their company network might be unwittingly downloading sensitive data, an act that could lead them to inadvertently breaching compliance regulations.
Insider threats do not necessarily have to be malicious, but in any case, taking steps to reduce human error is a great place to start.
For example, if an employee downloads some sensitive material to their personal phone and has their device stolen, hacked, or it simply goes missing, you could be in danger of an expensive lawsuit and a badly damaged reputation.
Educating Employees on Cyber-Etiquette
One of the best ways to reduce human error is undoubtedly through education. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to see through a phishing email as soon as it hits their inbox, but maybe they should be if they are putting the company’s livelihood in danger.
The Belgian bank Crelan fell victim to a costly spear-phishing scam in 2016, showing that this particular criminal practice is highly damaging and relies on human error for success.
Although some phishing emails can be so obvious as to be embarrassing, others look exceptionally realistic, so teaching employees to be as vigilant as possible is a must.
This does not just mean teaching them how to spot a phishing scam; it means helping them to understand the gravity of subjects such as data loss, how to handle sensitive information carefully online, and how to stay safe in a digital world.
Changing the Focus
In many instances, simply changing the focus to a more security-centric work ethos can help cement the subject in the minds of the employees, thus reducing the risk of error.
Withholding Access
If you are operating a business with a large number of employees that need to work closely with highly valuable information, it is likely worth implementing a tiered access model.
In doing this, you can ensure that your data is only accessible to those who need to use it and those who are comfortable using it safely.
