Be Cyber Smart

At a time where we have all been kept indoors and have had both our work and personal lives pushed together it is time to stay “Cyber Smart”. We have seen cybercrime as a whole increase by 600% since the beginning of the global pandemic. The shift from workplace to work-from-home has increased both attacks on our systems and increased the vulnerability across the board. There is however a way to help combat this issue, becoming Cyber Smart.

Being cyber smart and maintaining stellar online hygiene is the best way to protect yourself and others from cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity needs to be top of mind when doing work or even browsing online, but this doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are some quick mindset changes which will help you to be Cyber Smart.

Be vigilant with emails

The FBI says it's investigating a new wave of phishing attacks at work. These are not the kind that send you an email from your boss asking for your login credentials, but rather emails which look and pass for the real thing. Phishing attacks can be especially dangerous because they use links to navigate through your email on your phone or desktop. You can lose all your work if you're not careful! Many links on emails you receive are not real links. Links like “\\www.fancyshoppe.com\\x2dshoes.com\x2darenow\x2don\x2dsale\x2dby\x2” can show up as “invoice” or “login”. When unsure be vigilant with checking the “From” address and right clicking the link to expand it before clicking. If it looks strange, it probably is.

Perform Approved Software Updates Right Away

A software update can fix a bug, improve your device, or add features. It's important to regularly update your devices to make sure that they are protected. These updates could also prevent security exploits and other potential issues. It's always best to keep your devices up-to-date with the latest and greatest, so when your IT team says it’s time, take 5 minutes, go make a coffee and come back to a much safer system.

Become Cyber Literate

There are many different levels of education that you and your team members can benefit from to prevent vulnerabilities. For example, training on the basics of cybersecurity and password security, but also IT literacy programs on how to protect yourselves while inside the office and outside as well. Training has been found to be a key component in reducing the number and effects of cyber-attacks on your business.

Basic Cyber Hygiene

Like washing your hands, it may be basic but staying aware of malicious software is always the first step in keeping your computer both secure and healthy. Malware, such as viruses, worms and Trojan Horses are a huge problem due to their ability to spread quickly across networks. These programs gain access through any security holes within your organization's system and can wreak havoc if left unchecked.

Run regular security checks and system updates on your system, click only links you trust and be vigilant at all times. Keeping yourself and your organization safe does not have to be difficult, but with a little work by everyone we can ensure a safe workplace for all.