Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a great time to reinforce an organization's commitment to maintaining a safe and secure digital environment. Cyber threats are constantly evolving and are no longer just an IT issue. Both leadership and employees need to be aware of the latest trends and best practices.
At Braviant, our CTO, Bob Sides, shares his top 4 tips for organizations to protect themselves, their customers, and their employees.
Recognize Phishing Attempts
Phishing is the most used method by hackers. Emails will be disguised as coming from contacts or organizations you trust, tricking you into providing sensitive information or downloading infected files.
- Check the email address, especially from unexpected messages
- Understand spear phishing attacks (business email compromise or BEC). These scams insert themselves into ongoing communication threads and involve thorough research to create personalized messages and phone calls, resulting in significant financial loss or theft of highly confidential information.
- Be cautious when opening attachments, especially from unknown senders
Use Social Media Cautiously
Social media platforms are an easy and common way for hackers to gain information.
- Implement an organization-wide social media policy to set guidance on what not to share and recommended security settings
- Don't share travel plans, your organization's internal processes, reports, financials, or even software used
- Check your profile's security settings to limit what fake profiles and search engines can see
- Fight the spread of disinformation by fact-checking before engaging or sharing
Scan QR Codes Safely
Cybercriminals can print malicious QR code stickers and cover up legitimate ones.
- Check for physical tampering before scanning
- Check for poor grammar, misplaced characters, and shortened web addresses
- Check the link displayed while scanning, before clicking
- Never enter sensitive information on a website you are directed to via a QR code
Protect Devices Whether at the Office or Remote
Hackers can access information physically through tailgating, theft, and other means.
- Do not leave your devices or any valuable information out
- Do not let anyone you do not know access into your office building
- Lock devices when not in use
- Be cautious when using public Wi-Fi, especially insecure ones. Use organization-approved VPNs when possible.
Vigilance and proactiveness are critical to keep your organization, customer, and personal data safe. We encourage all organizations to review current security practices regularly and continue to strengthen and update policies and training.
About the author:
Bob Sides is a results-driven, technology executive with a broad range of expertise. His experience ranges from architecting scalable platforms to overseeing technology-driven growth initiatives and building high-performing teams. As a Vice President at Goldman Sachs, Bob launched gsbank.com after migrating GE Capital Bank to Goldman Sachs. The platform raised over $3 billion in consumer deposits in its first 7 months. He similarly built and launched gecapitalbank.com, which raised over $7 billion in consumer deposits in its first 18 months. Bob’s efforts were integral to the success of GE Capital Bank, which was named a Money Magazine Best Bank in 2013. He received a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of South Dakota.
