In today’s digital age, it is crucial for employees to be aware of the dangers of internet and computer use to protect both themselves and the company they work for. Despite the widespread use of technology, many people still have a false sense of security and overestimate their knowledge of the dangers that come with it. This attitude can lead to a lack of caution when using the internet and computer and can result in costly data breaches.
To reduce the risks of cyberattacks, it’s important for companies to educate their employees on cybersecurity awareness. Therefore, birkle IT is using the internal knowledge sharing initiative “birkle IT Academy” in which experienced employees in this matter educate their colleagues. By providing this education, the company can reduce the risk of human error, which is a common factor in successful cyberattacks. In addition, employees themselves benefit from having this information as they can take steps to protect their personal information and be more vigilant when using the internet and computer.
One of the biggest dangers employees face is phishing scams, which occur when an attacker poses as a trustworthy entity to steal sensitive information. Phishing attacks can lead to the installation of malware, freezing of the system, unauthorized purchases, identity theft, and more. To prevent phishing attacks, employees are trained on how to recognize them, including spotting false statements, messages with a sense of urgency, and suspicious links or attachments.
At birkle IT, as in other companies, employees receive phishing emails on a daily basis, and it’s crucial for employees to take these types of threats seriously. By recognizing phishing attacks and taking the appropriate steps, employees can help protect themselves and the company from costly data breaches.
Another huge risk in everyday computer use can be malware. Malware attacks are becoming more frequent and sophisticated. These malicious software programs can steal sensitive information, slow down your computer, and even send fake emails from your account. Common types of malware can be a virus, worm, spyware, adware, or trojan horse, that pretends to be useful application (like PDF converter, which everyone has used before) but harms your computer or steals information. By taking simple precautions like keeping the computer and software always updated or using a non-administrator account whenever possible, or just simply thinking twice before clicking links or downloading, malware attacks can be prevented already.
Password security, safe internet habits, and clean desk policy are important factors to secure a workplace. Making strong, unique passwords for all accounts, using multi-factor authentication (MFA), or using a password manager to generate and store strong passwords for each account is important. What is crucial and often underestimated is the usage of a unique password for each online account. At “birkle IT Academy” employees are being taught to recognize suspicious and spoofed domains, know the difference between HTTP and HTTPS, and how to identify an insecure connection. It is very easy to clone a real website and does not take a skilled developer long to produce a very professional-looking, but malicious site. By reducing or removing desktop clutter, stray files, and changing information ends, a clean desktop and a clean mobile device can be obtained and thus a secure business area.
