Cybersecurity Tips For Employees: 10 Good Practice

Interested in cybersecurity tips for employees? Here we’ve curated the list of the top 10 best cybersecurity tips for employees to follow while working to keep data secure.

Information security is a growing concern for everyone today. It permeates several aspects of our life. People in every lifestyle, including entrepreneurs, employees, and students, should get familiar with and practice multiple layers of security.

If you happen to be an employee, a huge responsibility around information security lies on you because the organization you belong to may have entrusted you with the key to a slew of confidential information. A minor mistake or carelessness on your end might result in a significant loss for your company.

All types of companies, small, medium-sized, or big, store a huge bulk of information in their computer systems and cloud storage spaces. Many of these data might be extremely sensitive – confidential details about the customers, the company’s financial details and banking information, employees’ personal and financial details, etc.

This sensitive and confidential information should not be passed on to the hands of cybercriminals. As a result, companies take extra precautions and care to protect the data of their employees, customers, and business partners.

Today most companies have multi-layered cybersecurity systems and strict policies that employees must follow to keep their data safe. But that is not all.

Along with the existing systems and policies, each employee must take extra steps to help their companies have better control and insulation against data breaches, hacking attempts, and more. Here are ten effective cybersecurity tips that employees can get familiar with and use to safeguard data and stop any breaches.

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10 Best Cybersecurity Tips For Employees To Follow

All the tips mentioned are crucial for employees to stay protected while working from home, or in a public workplace.

So without further ado, let’s take a closer look at cybersecurity tips for employees. 😀

1. Incorporate SSL

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layers. It is a protocol used for initiating secure links between computers in a network. Websites that manage sensitive information should be protected with an SSL certificate as it enables the encryption of the data being transferred via it.

If a website is not protected with an SSL certificate, the shared data could be easily accessed and leaked by hackers, resulting in severe problems and litigation later for your company. As an employee, you must know what SSL is and how to check if the websites you access are SSL encrypted. SSL certificate can be of many types and each SSL certificates are not suitable for your website. Yes, the SSL cert should be from reputed SSL certificates like Comodo, Sectigo, RapidSSL, GeoTrust, and GlobalSign. For a low-priced solution, you should buy a GeoTrust SSL certificate or comodo SSL certificate.

2. Make use of firewalls

Firewalls are an excellent defense against cyberattacks. Whether it is for your home network or your company’s network, you can use it to prevent any unauthorized parties from accessing your email or websites. If you have enabled a robust firewall system in place, you could be protecting your data across all forms of web-based access.

If you are allowed to work from home occasionally, it is essential to ensure that you use a firewall while accessing the company’s website or other internet-based services.

3. Use Two-Factor Authentication

Enable two-factor authentication for your email, company accounts, or net-banking services. When you use 2FA, you are required to verify your identity twice before being able to access the accounts. A hacker might be able to guess your password, but they cannot make it to the next level if 2FA is already in place.

4. Lock Your Computer

Do you tend to leave your office computer just like that when you get a phone call or for a refreshment? Even if the atmosphere sounds safe, it is not a promising idea to leave your computer unlocked when you are not around. Password-protect your computer and whenever you leave it, make sure to log out.

5. Learn About Phishing Scams

Online criminals send phishing emails to people. If you are a bit careful, you could effectively protect yourself from these tricks. When you receive an email, always make sure that it is the actual sender. Just because the sender’s name looks correct, it does not have to be authentic.

Look for other cues like unusual spelling mistakes, salutations, urging you to make something, requests for any confidential data, and more to detect a phishing email. If you notice anything fishy, ring up the person concerned and cross-check the matter.

6. Keep Your Software Updated

Whatever software applications you use, keep them updated. Updates consist of fixes to known loopholes or bugs. Hackers often penetrate a system utilizing the loopholes in it. If your computer’s operating system is outdated, it would mean its firewall has loopholes, and it suffers from a slew of similar vulnerabilities. By keeping it updated, you can protect your system from all such potential risk carriers.

7. Stay Vigilant

You can be facilitating a cyber-attack in your organization just by simple carelessness. When you click on a pop-up link, you let the attacker make the first move. The link could let him glimpse the vulnerabilities in your organization’s IT resources or install tracking malware to leak data.

He could devise plans to conduct future attacks using the sheer amount of data he collects. So next time when you see a pop-up message or receive an email with a link or attachment or receive a phone call from an unknown number, stay alert. Think twice before doing what you are intrigued to do.

8. Do Not Share Personal Information

If you receive a phone call or email requesting confidential information such as a credit card number or pin, even if the email or phone number sounds familiar, make sure you cross-check it twice before sharing the details.

It is better not to share this type of sensitive information via email. Social engineering is a standard method used by hackers to trick people into believing that they are real and stealing critical data.

Hence, if you receive any text message or phone call, or email, never share personal information such as social security number, credit card number, or anything other info that you think is confidential.

9. Do Not Connect to Unsafe Wi-Fi Networks

Companies use secure and encrypted Wi-Fi networks within their premises. As an employee, you would be using this for your work. However, there are times when companies would allow their staff to work remotely.

You could be using your home Wi-Fi or cellular data. When you access your company’s official email account or any other websites that require user credentials, it is vital to ensure the safety of the network. You could use a VPN (a virtual private network) to safeguard your online activities.

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10. Keep Yourself Updated

If you are not aware of cybersecurity tips for employees, you could be subjecting your company’s information to attacks. It is highly advisable to attend online sessions or courses on advanced information security practices.

Also, contact the IT department of your company and request them to educate you regarding employee cybersecurity tips and policies. Most companies would educate their new hires about their data security practices and policies during the onboarding period. If you have not been taught about it yet, you must take the initiative to request it.

Wrapping Up

When you work for a company, it becomes your responsibility to take steps to keep the company’s data protected. The practices are good for ensuring information security. If you find yourself in any trouble while trying to implement any of these practices, do not hesitate to head to the IT guy in your office and get things cleared.

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