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Year
2023
The pandemic has transformed the way we work, with nearly half of all employees now working from home, according to a recent Gallup poll. While this shift offers flexibility, it also presents new challenges in safeguarding your organization’s data, networks, and apps. As the lines between work and personal time blur, the potential for cyberattacks has become ever more present. This emphasized the importance of cybersecurity in the remote work era and how HR, security, and training teams can collaborate to protect your organization.
Educating Employees About Cyber Hygiene:
As an HR leader, you play a crucial role in creating a safe digital environment for employees. Encourage good cyber hygiene practices, which include using the right tools, performing tasks correctly, and establishing a routine. Educating employees about cyber hygiene, can help mitigate the risk of cyberattacks and support overall productivity.
Preventing Phishing Attacks:
Cyberattacks have surged globally since the onset of the pandemic. Scammers are increasingly relying on social engineering style hacks that target and exploit your employees. The attackers often masquerade as trusted figures or entities to prompt employees to take actions, such as clicking on links. These links are either infected with malware or pose a significant threat to your organization’s internal network. HR should guide employees to exercise extreme caution before clicking links or opening attachments in emails, especially if they seem related to payroll matters. Implementing measures such as email banners, can also identify potentially suspicious emails, as well as provide clear channels for reporting phishing attempts.
Privacy Risks and Cyberstalking:
While HR’s involved effort can help reduce these attacks, cross collaborating with IT personnel can further protect employees against cyberstalking. Employees should limit opportunities for eavesdropping, secure physical access to their devices, and practice proper logout and password management. Awareness of online scams, regular device reboots, and safeguarding sensitive information are also essential. In case of suspected cyberstalking or hacking, employees should keep evidence like screenshots.
Detecting an Attack:
Recognizing cyberattacks can be challenging, but educating employees about warning signs is crucial. Organizations need to continually educate employees so that they can be aware when a potential data breach is taking place. They should be trained to detect suspicious activity, like reduced battery life and sharp increases in data usage for instance. Unusual clicks, static, or echoing noises during device use may also indicate interference.
In the era of remote work, protecting your organization’s data is more critical than ever. HR leaders, along with security and training teams, can collaborate to educate employees about cyber hygiene, prevent phishing attacks, and safeguard against cyberstalking. By staying vigilant and informed, employees can help maintain a secure digital environment, ensuring both their own safety and the organization’s data integrity. Stay safe and secure in the digital realm.