How to Transform Employee Tech Practices for Better Cybersecurity

Changing employee tech practices can be challenging. Despite investing in state-of-the-art security software, cybercriminals are often just one gullible click away from staging an all-out invasion. Alarmingly, that vulnerable user could be anyone in your organization, including top executives. Surveys reveal that executives are frequently among the biggest culprits of poor cybersecurity hygiene, such as clicking on phishing links and opening malicious email attachments.

The Crucial Role of Security Awareness Training

Most businesses don't prioritize implementing comprehensive security awareness training. At Guardian Computer, we understand that busy schedules and competing priorities can push cybersecurity training down the list of "less urgent" tasks. Unfortunately, this often results in inadequate training sessions, such as brief break room briefings or superficial instructional videos, leaving your organization vulnerable.

Understanding the Tech Threat Landscape

According to a study by Osterman Research, email remains the top method of attack for cybercriminals. Phishing emails, posing as reputable sources such as banks, credit card providers, delivery firms, and law enforcement, trick users into clicking on malicious links or opening infected attachments. These actions often lead to fake websites where users unwittingly enter sensitive information, which is then exploited for malicious purposes.

The Verizon 2015 Data Breach Investigations Report found that 23% of recipients open phishing messages, and 11% click on attachments. Nearly half of these actions occur within an hour of receiving the email, some within minutes. This creates a narrow window for security teams to detect and respond to the attack, making a purely defensive posture inadequate.

Recognizing the Limitations of Traditional Defenses

While it's unfair to accuse organizations of ignoring cybersecurity threats, as budgets often reflect the high risk of these threats, traditional defenses alone are not enough. Upgrades in antivirus software, firewalls, spam filters, and security analytics are necessary but insufficient for significant improvement.

Antivirus protection remains a primary defense against malicious programs, but the sheer volume of threats makes it impossible for AV software to keep up. Virus Total reports detecting about two million malicious programs every week, yet AV effectiveness varies between 60 to 98 percent. This means some attacks will inevitably bypass AV defenses.

Implementing Layered Security for Improved Employee Practices

IT security must be significantly improved on all fronts. Organizations must adopt the latest methods to stay a step ahead of cyber threats. The goal is to establish informed, educated, and phish-savvy employees.

Guardian Computer’s Enhanced Security stack is ideal for organizations with strict compliance requirements, such as those in healthcare, oil & gas, and manufacturing. If your organization needs a strategic security arsenal to protect your IT systems, contact us today.