Train Your Users or Become a Victim

Have you ever got those e-mails that state that there is a problem with your bank account and that they need to verify your personal information? Or while researching material on the web, click on a site where it wants you to download something? You may know that these things pose threats to your security, but not everyone in your office does, which could mean trouble if they don't.

While the web provides us with an unlimited amount of resources at our fingertips, it's also a haven for hijackers and pirates looking for any way to board your vessel and steal your possessions. You have to be careful with everything you do, and you have to ensure that everyone in your office is educated enough to recognize these threats too. You wouldn't let your employee drive the company car without a license right? Don't let them use your network without properly being trained on the dangers of the web.

We recommend that you incorporate a network and Internet security class into your onboarding process for new hires. Things you may want to cover are Spam, Phishing, the importance of regular password changes, and web navigation security. By incorporating this training into new employee onboarding or even established employees, you greatly reduce the chance of security threat for your company and even your clients.

In 2009, the Computer Crime Survey (CSI) stated that 43% of malicious attacks were caused from internal sources unwittingly or wittingly. According to Microsoft Security Intelligence Reports, 80 % of malware threats detected and cleaned needed human interaction to initiate them. That means that even if the malware detection software saw the malware, the user still let it in. We hope those numbers are unnerving enough to make you reconsider applying network security practices into your employee training, if one hasn't been instituted already.

We also suggest using a Unified Threat Management (UTM) device to help in your network security. A UTM provides you with malware/virus protection and filters undesirable content from being accessed along with many other features, but if an inexperienced user is given freedom and no training, you're setting them up to fail.

Don't let an inexperienced driver sit behind the steering wheel of your company, institute a UTM and provide a training class to both experienced and inexperienced users. To learn more about how a UTM and training program can prevent network security threats, contact Computerware at (703) 821-8200.