Top Cyber Security Management Strategies for Current Threats

cyber security management strategies to reduce impact on workplaces

It is important to understand the risks that a business’ digital network are exposed to, so that appropriate and safe security measures can be adopted, to prevent your business against cyber crime. In this post, we discuss four of the top security risks facing workplaces today, and the best cyber security management strategies to address each of them.  

Lack of Security Training

The Threat: Employees who are not trained in security practices are more likely to take less measured and careless actions when it comes to information systems and data. Examples of these risks include weak passwords, visiting unauthorised websites and suspicious email contents. This may be because they have not been alerted to the risks or dangers that employees face when using devices.

The Solution: Training employees on the best practices to stay cyber safe, and providing continuous support is the key for preventing slip ups. The most appropriate measure to ensure employees do the right thing is through training and establishing a security policy. Further, providing a support system for employees to identify and report suspicious emails, and resources for general security assistance will help prevent exposing your business to cyber risk. 

cyber security management strategies require risk identification

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Weak Passwords

The Threat: Experts say that poor password management in a workplace is a top security risk, and this is because it is widely common to use the “go-to” passwords such as “123456” or “password”. Further to this, it is also common that the same passwords are reused across a number of personal and corporate logins. This can put many accounts at risk of hacking.

The Solution: It’s important to ensure that all business accounts are secured with a strong password which includes special characters, two-factor authorisation, and a password expiry of 30-60 days. Ensure that all employees are aware to not use personal passwords for work accounts. These could also be added to your business’ IT policy. Another solution to this risk would be encrypting your company data.  

BYOD (External devices) 

The Threat: BYOD (Bring your own device) policies are becoming an increasingly popular practice amongst businesses today. The notion here is that employees can bring and use their own computer device to work, but also take them home or away travelling in support of more flexible working arrangement. Although there are many perks of this, it can expose a business to a plethora of  cyber security risks if not handled securely. This is because personal devices are unlikely to be installed with the same level of security systems as corporate devices, making it easy for hackers to access data. 

The Solution: Make sure your company has a strict BYOD policy in place for all employees of the business. This might mean that extra security measures are adopted such as a company network only accessible through a Virtual Private Network (VPN), or a highly secure login method such as two-factor authorisation (2FA). This will prevent potential perpetrators from accessing secure networks in the event of a server hack. 

cyber security management strategies require emphasis on byod

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Third Party Service Providers

The Threat: Another common factor within organisations today is the reliance on outsourcing to suppliers for support in many areas, and these may include web services, payment systems, data & analytics and the list goes on. As that list increases extensively, the exposure of your business’ data and information also increases – as third parties typically require remote access to conduct their service. It is very difficult to control suppliers attaining login credentials as they are external from the business, hence making this a high risk. 

The Solution: It is imperative that companies ensure their third party contractors follow safe and secure practices when it comes to remote access. Establishing unique credentials for each user, as well as setting minimal permissions is a great way to prevent the risk of exposure or compromised information. Disabling third party accounts as soon as they are no longer needed is also a must. 

At HIOD IT, our team of experts provide managed IT services by using cyber security management strategies that mitigate the risks facing your business. If you’re interested in gaining our services or have any questions at all, please get in touch with our team by clicking here.