Sometimes the persistent habits of your employees can expose your organization to IT security risks. Though good habits make your employees efficient in their work, some habits can prove to be harmful. Hence, you need to spot these harmful trends early on to protect your business from employees that are more hackable.
In this blog, MyTek discusses the common harmful habits picked up by the employees and the means to prevent them.
Habit #1: Setting Weak Password and Not Changing it Frequently
Many employees set weak passwords that hackers can easily guess. No one likes to remember complex passwords. Many employees even end up setting the same password for numerous applications that they use. However, hackers can easily decode these passwords by digging into the personal details of the employees. These personal details could be anything, starting from one’s pet name to hobbies. Also, weak passwords like consecutive numbers “12345” require minimal effort to guess. To make matters worse, some employees set “password” as their login credentials.
Ensure that your staff sets strong passwords. Ask them to update the password regularly, like once a month or once in three months. If they have difficulty remembering the password, go for an alternate password management solution like using passphrases.
Habit #2: Sharing Passwords
Employees like simplified work processes. They don’t always want to type in their password and log in. Instead, they share the password with the Apps that they use. This App allows you to log in automatically. But, there is a risk of the app being exploited and security credentials being stolen.
But, this habit does not apply to company-owned social media apps. These apps come with strong enough firewalls and antivirus protection. Ensure that you train your employees with the dos and don’ts of sharing a password. Ask them to share it only in a secured environment.
Habit #3: Using Personal Storage Space to Store Company Documents
Cloud computing offers immense benefits for your business, but it also comes with specific concerns. Employees frequently make use of the personal cloud to store company documents. For example, they may want to put in extra hours and complete office work at home. In such a situation, the intentions of your employees are pure. They may not be intentionally putting your organization at risk but the attacks still happen. Luckily, there are automated solutions that help your employees safely access the cloud without compromising data security.
Habit #4: Using Shadow IT
Shadow IT is software (or hardware) that is usually installed on your business’ solutions without the approval or knowledge of the IT. When your employees are unfamiliar with the IT solutions you provide them, they try to find shortcuts to use the solution. Shadow IT can cause massive business losses. Hence, ensure that your users are compliant with the policy of not using any unauthorized IT services.
Habit #5: Improper Use of Email
Email helps streamline the work process and enhance communication. But, email sharing comes with its own risks. Imagine you sharing sensitive information with the wrong person. By doing this, you put the data of the entire organization at risk. Hence, you need to be careful while using email. Employees need to know the standard practices of email, such as not clicking on suspicious links and downloading unknown files.
Habit #6: Lack of Training
If employees are unaware of the potential threats to the business, they cannot spot and prevent these risks. That’s why it becomes the employer’s responsibility to train their employees to combat IT security challenges.
You need to start IT training right from the beginning of employee onboarding till the employee leaves your organization. Some crucial training techniques include team discussions, phishing tests, long-term evaluations, etc.
IT consultant company MyTek can help you with these techniques. Also, you can learn the right way to impart training to your employees. To know more, contact us at 623-312-2440.