Reggie Dejean Director of Operations View Bio

Are Your Workers a Cybersecurity Threat To Your Business

Are Your Workers a Cybersecurity Threat To Your Business?

Keeping your workforce current for the 21st century means hiring members across all generations. You may find, however, that their technological abilities brings hazards as well as benefits. You may find that your more tech savvy employees are accustomed to sharing information freely across devices, working from home or bringing their personal phones or tablets with them to the office. Like many managers, you may have even encouraged your employees to be “brand ambassadors,” sharing their enthusiasm for your company with their personal social media networks. This easygoing information flow can result in significant cybersecurity problems. Here’s what you should know to stay safe:

Tech Fluency Doesn’t Always Mean Tech Safety

Cyber intrusions often arise from user error or employee mistakes rather than from a specifically targeted attack by a remote hacker. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) points out that the growing custom of BYOD (“bring your own device”) workplaces, as well as the consumer-grade apps and tools that come along with those devices, can create a major risk of data breaches. Furthermore, your employees’ technical sophistication doesn’t protect them against being tricked into sharing sensitive information, according to SHRM. If you have assumed that your employees are too knowledgeable to open the door to a phishing attempt or other hack, you need to be aware that their technical fluency is no protection. As a matter of fact, tech savvy employees’ tendency to multitask and their relaxed attitude toward information-sharing can introduce greater risk factors.

Small Businesses Are Uniquely Vulnerable to Cybersecurity Threats

When a disastrous hacking story hits the news, it always concerns a big box store or major corporation. This has given rise to misplaced confidence among small businesses and nonprofit organizations, leading them to feel safe from such targeting. In fact, they may be even more vulnerable than larger organizations. This is due to several factors:

  • Small businesses may not be able to afford sophisticated security systems and dedicated security teams
  • Employees in smaller businesses wear many hats and are more likely to have access to sensitive client information in the course of running the business
  • Smaller organizations may not have formal cyber security policies and training programs

A cyber attack can mean disaster to a smaller enterprise. Data published in CIO reveal that small and medium-sized businesses suffer four times greater cost per person from data breaches than do large enterprises, and 60 percent of those smaller businesses may never recover from the cyber attack.

Protect Your Business From A Cyberattack

Contact us today to talk with our in-house cyber insurance team. We specialize in helping companies identify risks and mitigate them through cybersecurity insurance policies.

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