Stockport IT specialists at Amshire are urging employers to ensure that their teams are better educated when it comes to IT systems.
In 2016 the average cost of a data breach was £3 million! This figure is only set to increase unless businesses implement a Cyber Security Policy, warns Amshire‘s managing director David Taylor.
“Every business needs a Cyber Security policy together with training to help to reduce the risk.
“It is important that business owners and senior managers take responsibility to educate their employees to strengthen their IT skills and increase their knowledge of cyber risk and cyber security when working with the company’s IT systems both inside and outside of the Office.”
Research has shown that 52% of breaches are actually caused by human error and not technology issues as many think.
As technologies change and businesses start adopting them, such as cloud and mobility, the business practises, workflows and policies need to be updated. Users need to be aware of the associated risks when using these technologies.
*Cybercrime is quickly shifting to the mobile space as mobile device malware infections reached an all-time high in 2016. According to Nokia’s Threat Intelligence Report, malware has infected 1.35 percent of all mobile devices, and smartphones have been deemed the most vulnerable mobile devices, as malware infections have risen up to 400 percent in the past year.
The report shows that Android phones are the most vulnerable phones, representing 81 percent of malware infections in the second half of 2016, while iPhones and other mobile devices made up only 4 percent of attack victims.
David added:
“Everyone in a company, from the cleaner to the board room, should be made aware of the company’s Cyber Security Policy and given the opportunity to receive training.
“With the use of video, animation and interactive situations, your employees can review their own behaviours while going about their daily activities. Ideally, training should be split into short modules to help employers and employees plan it into their work routine. Employees should be allotted time to learn how to protect themselves and crucially the business.
“And just so that everyone remembers what they have learned, I would recommend that everyone who competes the course, are issued with a certificate of competency.”
*Source: securitymagazine