Corporate security is a hot topic at the moment, as several data breach incidents have recently made the news. This includes cyber hacks, where customer data has been accessed and used by outsiders, and situations where careless or negligent employees have either accidentally or intentionally caused security breaches.
Are your Employees putting your IT security at risk?
According to a 2013 report by Forresters, 36% of data security breaches are caused by insiders inadvertently allowing data to be accessed by not taking effective security measures. The study found that only 42% of those surveyed, all working in small and medium-sized businesses in Europe or North America, had received training on data security. That means there is a lot of work to be done, both in improving security training and ensuring that it is reaching a much larger percentage of employees. High profile cases are sure to encourage more attempts to access insecure data, so businesses need to be prepared to prevent them from succeeding.
Basic IT Security Do’s and Don’ts
IT support staff or consultants should implement security training for employees as part of their overally IT security plan. Some of the different measures that businesses can take include password protection and tracking employees’ use of files and company-owned devices. Employees should be reminded of the importance of not giving other employees or personal acquaintances access to the data they use in their roles. Data should be accessible only to those people whose jobs require them to use it, especially in the case of sensitive and private information, such as customer contact details.
Better Security Shouldn’t Mean Lower Productivity
It is easy to go overboard in your efforts to combat the risk when you fear a security breach. If a business implements complicated security checks, their employees may find their productivity is affected, as they spend more time passing those checks than getting on with their work. Therefore, it is a good idea for companies to look at which data needs to be most secure, and use different levels of complex security on this basis.
As security technology improves, hackers find new ways to access secure data, and employees need further training to prevent security breaches. Therefore, businesses need to be up to speed on the latest security methods, as there are constantly new innovations that improve access for those who should have it, while keeping out those who shouldn’t. If you need advice on protecting your data and corporate security, speak to AWD today about our expert IT solutions on 1300 855 651.