Reducing Risks: How Employee Training Helps Improve Security
Legal or financial, medical or retail — no matter the industry you’re in, one of the biggest risks to your company security actually lies in the hands of your employees.
“The best tool any organization is going to have to ensure that they are the most secure is to have smart people creating a smart organization. The smarter the organization, the less you have to spend on security because it’s embedded within the people that know what they are operating every day.”
– Chief Security Officer of Barricade Jeff Reich, in an online interview.
Employee training is an important piece of any business’s security plan, and it can make a difference on the bottom line.
Investing in user awareness and training effectively changes employee behavior and reduces security-related risks by anywhere from 45% to 70%, according to a study by Wombat research last year.
Risk No. 1: Technology Intersection
Thanks to the invention of portable devices, there is a seamless overlap in work and home. Information security best practices should just as seamlessly overlap with each device used.
For example, employees should never use free public Wi-Fi, particularly when sharing sensitive data. Set a Virtual Private Network (VPN) in place to confidently share documents.
Risk No. 2: Phishing Scams
Phishing is a technique frequently used by cyber criminals.
Security training around how to identify fraudulent emails can stop personnel from falling victim to scams and potentially save your business money, time, and headaches.
Risk No. 3: Employee Error
The final and most common result of improper security training. All the security policies in the world can’t account for simple human error. Employee mistakes range from keeping unencrypted data on mobile devices to leaving confidential information fully visible on desks.
Proper training and having sound security policies in place help to combat and prevent employee mistakes.
Working with a professional shredding company is one of the most efficient solutions to prevent the risks around document security. EcoShredding helps you determine the best security practices to prevent risks and comply with the law. We offer daily, weekly, monthly, and one-time purge service packages.
Contact us today to learn more about protecting your business.
