Organizations must ensure that their network and sensitive data are secure in our internet-connected world. This will promote cybersecurity in respective workplaces. Notably, human errors are one of the major weaknesses that cyberattack criminals exploit. Thus, it is the role of every person in the workplace to ensure the security of their information (Google Help, 2016). There are various ways through which employees or members of an organization can promote cybersecurity in their workplaces. Companies should increase cybersecurity awareness among their employees, which would benefit the organization and workers. Here are several benefits of cybersecurity awareness in an organization and different ways to achieve it.
Increasingly promoting cybersecurity awareness in an organization protect the company from external cyber threats. External cyber threats are the major aspects affecting the cybersecurity of most companies. In this respect, companies must ensure that all employees know how to protect organizational information and personal data from external cyberattacks. Companies can do this by teaching employees different ways of protecting and securing personal information and network connections. Some of the most effective habits that a company may teach its workers include how to create strong passwords, the significance of installing updated antivirus software on their devices, keeping sensitive login credentials secure, and avoiding opening email attachments from an unknown sender (Oxen Technology, 2018). Awareness of these cybersecurity measures will help protect the organization and its employees from external attacks.
Consistently promoting cybersecurity awareness in an organization secures it from internal cyber threats. Notably, not all security threats come from outside the organization. People within the organization are a threat to the organization’s security too. They often threaten organizational security due to negligence, accidents, or possession of malicious behaviors. How employees can pose a security threat to an organization’s security is a question that intrigues many people. As a result, it is the role of an organization to educate its employees on the ways that they can pose security risks. This is part of cybersecurity awareness. Precisely, any person with network permission can unintentionally compromise or delete organizational data, which is an accidental behavior that can pose a great risk (Oxen Technology, 2018). Employees can also violate critical security policies exposing the organization to a security threat. This also refers to negligence even though a worker may have the best intentions when violating the policy. The last way that an employee can pose a risk to an organization is by cooperating with malicious insiders, which makes them do something to harm the organization.
In addition, promoting cybersecurity awareness equips workers with the necessary skills to safeguard private information with physical security and cautious behaviors. Noteworthy, strong security is not only always about the cyber domain, but it also involves physical security and behavior control (Oxen Technology, 2018). Companies must educate their employees on ways to enhance physical data security in workplaces and behaviors cautiousness in this respect. There are various ways that a company may use to achieve physical security and behavior caution awareness among their workers. For instance, they may provide training on non-technical security tips, such as never leaving their devices with strangers, browsing in private spaces, using dim lights when using computers in strange places, and never discussing sensitive information in public (Oxen Technology, 2018). When transferring data, the company must ensure its employees know how to verify receipts, data, and transfer methods to ensure the security of the information shared. Overall, promoting cyber security awareness among employees is one of the most efficient ways of ensuring the safety of organizational information and personal data. Everyone should be aware of their duties to promote cybersecurity in the workplace, which will help safeguard them and the organization from internal and external threats.
Google Help. (2016, September 14). How to Avoid Social Engineering Attacks [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEtvwzN_xJk
Oxen Technology. (2018, June 11). Basic Cybersecurity Tips for The Workplace. OXEN Technology. https://oxen.tech/blog/basic-cybersecurity-tips-workplace/