Company security has become increasingly complex as the internet grows and companies increase their dependency on technology. You’re not just trying to fend off an email hack. Modern businesses need to be aware of DDoS attacks and attempts to get to your bank and credit card information.
Fortunately, you can set your security team up for success with the right security preparation. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when protecting a business.
1. Proactively scan for potential threats.
Managing security in this day and age means being proactive about potential attacks. You can’t just build up a fortress and wait for something bad to happen. Look into existing software tools that will scan the internet (including the dark web) for potential threats to your business. These include physical threats from former employees against your leadership or team members, along with digital threats against your website and data. LifeRaft is a good place to start for research on the features of these tools.
2. Train employees to look out for suspicious activity.
A security breach likely won’t come from your IT department, but rather from various team members across your organization. The Global Insider Data Breach Survey by Egress found 78% of IT leaders think employees have put data at risk accidentally in the past 12 months. 97% think an insider data breach is a serious concern.
Work with your HR team to make security part of the onboarding process. You can train new hires on basic security precautions and then retrain employees periodically on industry best practices.
3. Tighten your employee offboarding process.
Along with improving onboarding, work with your human resource team to tighten employee offboarding. When an employee leaves your company (either through resignation or termination), they can still access various files, tools, and accounts until you lock them. One Ponemon Institute study found 40% of employees reported taking information from a former employer with the intent of using it at a new job. Even if these team members aren’t causing direct harm to your business, they are putting your company’s future profits at risk.
Make sure you have a process in place to identify and revoke any access that employees have to prevent external hacks.
4. Attend webinars and conferences to learn best practices.
Security trends look different from one year to another. Different phishing attacks increase and decrease in popularity. New tools are invented to increase security. Your team needs to know what’s out there—both what could harm you and save you.
Set aside part of your budget each year to attend security conferences. You can also set goals with your team to attend one webinar per month on key security trends. You may be able to prevent an attack with what you learn from fellow industry leaders.
5. Set goals for growth.
Developing a foolproof security plan is a process that takes time. Your team will likely work through several projects, whether they involve setting up scanning systems for greater visibility or training team members to avoid suspicious emails. You don’t need to have a perfectly secure company by tomorrow, but you need to continuously work towards your milestones.
Consider using OKR software, which tracks your objectives and key results. You can use this goal management tool to guide your performance reviews and increase employee engagement while making sure your employees are on the same page for team security goals.
The best way to keep your company safe is to keep innovating. Hackers and criminals who wish to harm your business will always come up with new ways to achieve their goals, but you have the power to think two steps ahead and stop them.