5 Ways for Encouraging Your Employees to Take Security Measures Seriously [Infographic]

Alan Rita — May 5, 2017

There is an undoubtedly need for increasing our security measures these days, especially if we consider the latest news on cyber security breaches and the potential damage that could imply for our business’ interests. However, it is a relatively minor part of the total amount of companies available in the market that can proudly announce they found a way to protect their assets that work. Are there any secrets worth considering for taking the idea of a fool-proof business to reality? The only answer to that is your employees.

In this guide, we are going to explain five exciting ways in which we can teach the importance of sticking to security measures in a company.

1. Explain the Importance of Securing Your Company

It isn’t just “your company”. Employees take a significant role in making a business grow. Therefore, they should feel the business as a project of their own, a project they want to make a hit. Then, after that essential aspect is cleared out, as the manager or business owner, you should put your efforts into explaining your crew why hackers might be interested in stealing your information, how data translates into money, and how to protect the brand from potential leaks that could benefit our competitors.

For all that and much more, it would be advisable to invest money in hiring IT professionals to teach courses on cyber security to your crew. Regardless of the money spent, your employees will pay back by developing a precise understanding of what needs to be done.

2. Encourage Staying Updated on the Latest News

Another valid approach is to praise those who take their time to research or at least be tuned, on what’s going on in the outside world, which new methods of cyber crime are trending at the moment, or if any potential liability can hurt our business.

This could be something easily implemented by suggesting bonuses for those who provide the best quality information once per a certain amount of months. That way your employees can see cyber security as a bonus worth the time.

Photo courtesy of Kaboompics

3. Update your Company’s Policy

In case you are worried about the time, it takes to put all these security measures in action; you can take a short route by updating your company’s policy in what security protocols regard.

Essential aspects to ought to be:

• Remote Access
  
• Non-disclosure terms for projects in development stage
  
• Updating passwords
  
• Social Media behaviour
  
• Information Sharing approved methods

This is no minor game. There are countless examples of how easily hackers can steal corporation’s data by simply hacking one of your employee’s accounts. Known cyber security breaches for email providers can be listed below in this infographic courtesy of Avatier.

4. Set a Calendar for Security Milestones

The best way to organise your productivity is by sticking to a schedule. Well, same can be said about a company’s security methods, and the key point is to properly write down key dates in which software/hardware needs to be revisited, when is it time to switch passwords, etc.

It just takes 21 days to develop a new habit, make sure your employees make cyber security their habit for guaranteeing your success.

5. Set Hierarchy Levels for Sensitive Data Access

Finally, by setting different access levels to the information to be used, you are explaining your working crew they take part of something much bigger than what they originally thought.

For example, only managerial employees should have access to marketing campaign guidelines, server passwords, etc. This kind of trust can be only reached after being part of the company for a certain time, developing tasks of direct importance to the brand’s growth and, mostly, if the person seems to be trustworthy. It’s a common mistake in small businesses to make data available for everyone, thus why some ex-employees can turn out to become competitors after you fire them.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

Relax and consider all the aspects involved in a proper cyber security system. People say Rome wasn’t built in a day, well, same happens with successful venues. Good luck!

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