Over the last few years, cyber criminals have adopted sophisticated attack techniques. We’ve seen a tremendous upsurge in cyber-attacks in the Middle East which can be devastating for some organisations. According to a recent study by Kaspersky Lab and B2B International, 52 per cent of businesses admit that employees are their biggest weakness in IT security and have contributed to 46 per cent of cybersecurity incidents in the last year.
The saying ‘prevention is better than cure’ applies perfectly to the IT security world. Having a cyber-educated workforce is as important as the security solution, when it comes to combating internet threats. Cyber-aware employees can be the winning card in this never-ending battle against criminals, and help prevent, identify and predict attacks in advance.
Ransomware 101: Let’s face it, ransomware is here to stay, so we must do everything to educate ourselves about it. Ransomware can be easily avoided by taking simple measures such as not being tempted to click on suspicious links, not opening attachments from unknown or unrecognised sources, and installing security solutions on all endpoints, including computer and mobile devices. Backing up data regularly is also important. Finding the right balance: An astounding 44 per cent of companies say that employees do not follow IT security policies. Businesses need to strike the right balance between policy and engagement to help prevent staff carelessness and strengthen security solutions.
Flag, don’t hide: According to our study, employees often fail to act when a security breach hits their company. In 40 per cent of businesses around the world, employees hide an incident when it happens, perhaps because they are worried about being punished.
Stay updated: Software companies often find vulnerabilities in their applications and issue immediate updates to patch them. It is important to install these updates in a timely manner.
Choose strong passwords: Unique passwords for every device will minimise chances of infiltration and will make it difficult for cyber criminals to reach their goals.
- The writer is managing director of the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, Kaspersky Lab
