Articles

Cybersecurity in the Workplace

Your organization’s data, systems, and processes are the backbone of all of the operations in your business.

In this article, we’ll explain what cybersecurity is, as well as the importance of implementing good cybersecurity practices in the workplace.

Your organization’s data, systems, and processes are the backbone of all of the operations in your business - and because so much business is conducted digitally these days, you probably have at least some of your company’s information stored virtually. Whether it’s your business’ schedules, contracts, or your entire operations are conducted digitally, it’s rare to find a business these days that does not conduct at least some of their business online.

With cybercrime increasing 600% percent due to COVID-19 pandemic, threats are seemingly everywhere online, and it is more important than ever to implement good cybersecurity practices in the workplace. Cyber attackers are clever, and know to target organizations that do not have strong precautions in place to prevent their crimes. As such, you should have a thorough cybersecurity plan in place in your workplace - especially if you store documents digitally or conduct business online regularly.

Implementing cybersecurity rules and regulations, though, means nothing if you and your employees do not truly understand the threats that could affect your business and how you can take precautions to prevent them. To successfully practice good cybersecurity practices in the office, you need to ensure that every single team member truly understands and follows those practices you put in place.

Informing your whole team about the importance of cybersecurity might seem daunting, though - how do you get your employees to care about cybersecurity? How do you inform them about the threats that affect your business, and after you’ve informed them, how do you get them to take action? Creating a cybersecurity plan for your business might raise a lot of questions if you aren’t very experienced.

Yes, good cybersecurity practices in the workplace are a necessity - but they do not have to be complicated. In this article, we’ll explain what cybersecurity is, as well as the importance of implementing good cybersecurity practices in the workplace. We’ll also provide you with a few examples of cybersecurity practice exercises and suggestions so you can learn how to practice cybersecurity online with your employees. Keeping your business and assets safe takes work, but the peace of mind and safety is more than worth it.

Secure for the known, insure for the unknown

Your destination may be achieving compliance in industry certifications such as SOC2 or ISO27001, but it doesn’t stop there. With Trava, our modern tools can help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be by giving you the control to assess your risk, repair the most vulnerable areas, and transfer risk through insurance.

Why Is Cybersecurity Important?

If you’re wondering why cybersecurity is important, it’s because cyber threats could potentially affect any business - whether small or large, well-established or brand new, attackers target companies of all kinds. And when cyber criminals attack companies, they tend to cause major financial damages. Every data breach, on average, costs a company $4.24 million. To put things into perspective, by 2025, cybercrime will cost the world $10.5 trillion. Needless to say, that’s a lot of companies’ hard-earned money lost to cyber criminals.

Considering what could happen if you do not implement a cybersecurity plan in your workplace, practicing good cybersecurity is an absolute necessity. You must know how to practice good cybersecurity in order to protect your livelihood, your employees, your customers, and your company as a whole.

Cybersecurity is important both at work and at home because practicing good cybersecurity means protecting your systems, personal information, assets, and data. Learning good computer safety, and ensuring that you put it in practice, is the only way to keep you and your company safe from cyber threats today. You can look up internet safety tips online with queries like ‘25 internet safety tips’, or even create your own list to hand out to employees.

What Is The Importance Of Cybersecurity In The Workplace?

If you’re wondering what the importance of cybersecurity is in workplaces, don’t forget that cyber attacks could happen to any company. It’s easy to think that a cyber attack could never happen to you or your business - but unfortunately, the statistics suggest that this is not true. 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses, and, to make matters worse, 70% of small businesses say that they are unprepared to handle a cyber attack or do not have any precautions in place.

In other words, yes, cyber attacks actually do happen all the time - and to all kinds of businesses. But most companies are completely unprepared, with no plan or precautions in place to prevent a cyber attack or address an incident if it does occur.

Considering the prominence of cyber attacks and the potential damage they can cause to your business and livelihood, it’s critical to think ahead about how you might respond to a cyber attack - or better yet, consider how you could protect yourself and your business before an incident ever happens.

There are a few ways you can raise attention to the importance of cybersecurity awareness in your workplace; place clear signs that remind employees of cybersecurity rules, regulations, and tips , send out a phishing awareness email to employees, and hold regular meetings to refresh your team members on cybersecurity best practices for employees. Education is not only a great way to empower your employees with knowledge, but also keep your business and assets safe.

Do you know your Cyber Risk Score?

You can't protect yourself from risks you don't know about. Enter your website and receive a completely free risk assessment score along with helpful information delivered instantly to your inbox.

How To Improve Cybersecurity At Workplace

Once you understand the importance of cybersecurity, you can begin to think about how to improve cybersecurity at your own workplace. Creating a cybersecurity plan should be a multi-step, ongoing process that involves all departments and team members. Cyber threats don’t sleep or slow down, so you should have a strategy in place to protect your assets at all times.

You should begin with fostering cybersecurity awareness among employees, ensuring that all of your team members clearly understand what various cyber threats are and how to combat them. You can do so by sending emails, posting bulletins, and talking directly to team members about the importance of cybersecurity. You can talk to your employees about topics like how to properly store information, how to safely download files, and how to access work-related digital materials at home without putting yourself at risk. If you’re having trouble writing up emails or creating other materials to promote cyber security in the workplace, you can Google awareness email examples.

Once you’ve begun fostering cybersecurity awareness, you can then go on to conduct regular training. Some of your office training should involve hands-on activities, as well as drills. This way, you know that your employees can and do apply the information you’ve given them, as well as give them a chance to practice and ask any questions they may have.

In other words, you should consistently keep your employees informed while also making sure they have the skills and real-world knowledge they need to implement the information they learn in your training. By consistently emphasizing the importance of cybersecurity in your workplace and showing your employees how to be more safe, you can foster a culture of cybersecurity. When you've successfully cultivated a culture of cybersecurity in your workplace, cybersecurity is entwined in everything you and your coworkers do; it is a part of the workplace plan rather than an afterthought.

Cybersecurity Awareness For Employees

Cybersecurity best practices for employees begin with thorough cybersecurity awareness for employees. When your team knows about threats, as well as how to prevent them and respond to them, you can empower your whole organization to take a stand against cybercrime. You should never have any team members asking, “what is cybersecurity, anyway?”, since you should have strong outreach to employees.

To encourage awareness of cybersecurity in the workplace, you can provide the best cybersecurity training for employees and ensure that you emphasize the importance of cybersecurity awareness training for employees across your whole organization.

Your cybersecurity training should be thorough and inform your employees of any potential cyber threats that might affect your company. You should describe any precautions your employees can take to avoid becoming the victim of a cyber attack, as well as any official rules and regulations your company has in place.

For example, you may want to talk to your employees about the following topics:

In addition to regular cybersecurity training that informs your employees of threats that could affect your business, you may want to reach out to them in other ways to supplement your initiative. For example, you may want to send a ransomware awareness email to employees to let them know about the specific damages ransomware can cause. You may also want to conduct hands-on training or drills, which directly involve your team in your initiative and give them the opportunity to show what they’ve learned.

Every business faces different threats and thus requires unique cybersecurity solutions. At Trava, we know exactly how to identify and attend to your company's unique digital needs. Book a demo with us today to learn your personal cyber risk score and learn more about how we can help you protect your business!

Sources