Education, Training, & Preparation Can Prevent 96 Percent Of Data Breaches
Human error and sophisticated scams are the primary reasons companies suffer from data breaches. This is what industry leaders can do to protect digital assets.
During three months, the Office of Australian Information reported that 245 data breaches had occurred. Nevertheless, what is even more troubling is that approximately one-third of these cyber incursions were the result of common human error and other targeted employees, according to a Notifiable Data Breaches report. Given that only 4 percent of reported data breaches were attributed to systems failures, 96 percent could have been prevented if decision-makers had improved awareness, training, and preparedness.
The organisations that were penetrated included government agencies, financial institutions, credit reporting outfits, and health care providers, among others. What is essential for small and mid-sized businesses to keep in mind is that cybercriminals are not exclusively focused on large corporations. These digital bandits surf the internet identifying outfits whose cybersecurity appears vulnerable. That is why the experts at Sydney Technology Solutions work diligently with industry professionals to enhance your defences. These are the ways we can prepare your team.
How We Can Help Reduce Human Error Breaches
While some people are vigilant about criminal activity, it is essential for business leaders to recognise that not every employee is thinking in terms of security. Many people concern themselves with putting in a hard day’s work and do not give potential theft a second thought. Unfortunately, that honest mindset needs to be reinforced with the reality that data can be more valuable than gold to criminals. These are ways employees inadvertently put companies at risk.
- Email: By using CC rather than BCC in group communications, mailing lists that include key stakeholders can be exposed. This allows hackers to target them with ransomware, malware, and other nefarious schemes.
- Disposal: By not shredding physical documents and securely discarding them, records provide a piece to the information puzzle that can be leveraged. The same holds true of digital files on portable drives.
- Verbal Communications: Saying out loud or electronically conveying login or password information can result in the wrong person knowing how to access a network. Data breaches are more often an inside job than people realise.
The valuable and sensitive data hackers siphon off may have included personnel files with identity information, bank records, credit card numbers, and much more. Business leaders would be wise to work with a third-party specialist to craft a company-wide cybersecurity policy and mandate employee training.
How We Can Deter Against Digital Schemes
Although breaches that result from malware, ransomware, and phishing scams are not necessarily considered “human error,” hackers do target employees. According to the Notifiable Data Breaches Quarterly Statistics report, these schemes comprised the highest percentage of all breaches. These are the ways your team members can avoid opening the door to digital hijackers.
- Phishing Schemes: Do not respond to suspicious electronic communications and never provide personal or professional information if asked.
- Ransomware Schemes: Ransomware attackers can hold your data hostage until payment is received. Never click on links or download files that come through email or other forms of electronic communication. Some highly sophisticated methods are mirror images of legitimate businesses.
- Malware Schemes: This type of virus is often used to penetrate your system. Hackers can leverage the information to steal data by creating backdoors or spy on business activities. It is crucial to avoid contact with unknown entities and non-secure websites.
Cybercriminals have developed highly sophisticated methods to lure unsuspecting employees into their confidence. Some strategies include making an email appear as if it came from a supervisor or outfit that is familiar. Other multi-faceted scams may consist of and urgent email followed by voice conformation. What is essential to the health of your business is providing ongoing education about deterrence and emerging threats.
Knowledge remains the most potent defence, and that is precisely what Sydney Technology Solutions delivers. If you are concerned about the financial losses and damaged reputation that comes from a data breach, contact Sydney Technology Solutions, and schedule a consultation.
