In this age of digital technology and advancements, there are still a lot of people that do not pay much attention to the way they surf the web at home or in the office. New ways of exploiting data are coming up every day, and if you don’t keep up with it, it could spell trouble for your organization. Organizations big and small are spending fortunes on data and cyber security. However, due to some common myths and misconceptions, their data isn’t as safe as they thought it would be. And this is why there are still data breaches and hacks being reported all the time. Some of the common misconceptions that people have are:
Security is the sole responsibility of the IT department
Yes, that is true. The IT department’s major responsibility is developing and implementing policies that will secure your data and keep the wrongdoers away. But this doesn’t mean that they are the only ones whose job it is. It also doesn’t mean that the other employees can do whatever they want and if they face any problem, the IT guys will take care of it. The truth of the matter is that each employee should be careful about what emails they’re opening and what site they’re visiting.
Antivirus is enough
The time when just an antivirus was enough to protect your system is long gone. Nowadays it is not nearly enough. Hackers have found new and improved ways of hoodwinking the system and finding new paths into your company’s network. Ransomware is on the rise and if an antivirus is the only thing standing between you and the hacker, it’s just a matter of time before someone takes your data and locks it away.
Only the strongest password shall survive
It’s a fact that having a long and complex password is vital for your data and document security. However it is not nearly enough. When the biggest tech giants like Facebook or Apple can have data breaches then definitely you can experience them too. Make sure that you have a data security system that has the latest methods of authentication and verification to make your system more secure.
Trouble comes only from the internet
Yes, the internet is the brewing pot of unhealthy viruses and malwares. But that doesn’t mean that it’s the only way for your organization to get affected. Disconnecting form the internet will not save you from all the threats that exist out there. All it takes is one user bringing an infected USB drive to the office or an employee using a dubious app on his or her personal mobile phone using the company’s network and all hell can break lose. It takes just one virus to infect the entire network. So kick out the notion that threats exist only online.
Cyber-attacks are only for big tech
Some businesses believe that they are not interesting prey for hackers as they are either small or they don’t have the kind of data that a hacker could be looking for. They couldn’t be more wrong. Every company has personal data about its employees, vendors, customers, and third parties which is what hackers are looking for in the first place. This includes credit card numbers, social security numbers, which make each and every company a target.
Considering all these things, it is vital for all the employees of the company to take part in keeping the company data safe and secure. This is not a one man job, it is everyone’s job. All the company’s employees must be kept up to date with cyber and data security and their policies.
