Common IT Security Risks in the Workplace

Published on: 07 July 2021 Last Updated on: 10 January 2025

When it comes to your business, it is important to recognize some of the highest security risks that are present. Your security needs to be a top priority. To run your business, you will collect a lot of information about customers and even other businesses you work with. If a data breach happens, you could end up with a huge loss in reputation and other issues.

There are a number of big IT security risks that can show up in the workplace. Recognizing these and finding ways to prevent them can keep that data safe. Some of the common IT security risks that can happen in the workplace include:

1. Insider Threats

According to one study, about 57% of the recorded data breaches were not done by outside attackers. Instead, these were done by a threat that is inside the organization. And often this is not because someone is being malicious within the company. Negligent employees who click on the wrong link or give off information carelessly were often the cause.

One of the top causes of a data breach still remains human error. Companies need to maintain focus on the inside as much as the outside to ensure data stays safe. However, it is sometimes hard to detect an insider threat.

In addition to watching for these insider threats, a company needs to invest in the right training for its employees. Since most of this issue comes from negligence or carelessness, rather than malicious intent, things like security awareness training may help more than anything.

2. Social Engineering

Another threat to watch out for is something known as social engineering. It can affect companies as much as it will affect individuals. Humans are susceptible to manipulation, which is why many attackers will use a variety of psychological tricks to get what they want.

With social engineering, the right protection software or looking for different indicators of compromise will not be enough. It is hard to really predict human behavior all the time. All it takes is for one person to click one lucrative offer that is too good to be true, and your company has to deal with a data breach.

What makes it even worse is that malicious attackers can easily find new ways to trick individuals to give up private data or granting access to critical areas. There are many different types of social engineering attacks that can be used including:

Spear phishing
Whaling
Baiting
Pretexting
Tailgating
Scareware
Vishing

Since this issue can exploit the basics of human behavior, it is sometimes hard to find the best way to combat it. Even tech-savvy users have fallen victim in the past from some of these. Educating your employees about these attacks and updating your training procedures is one of the best ways to help.

3. Ransomware

Another thing to be careful about is ransomware. This can be a scary type of tactic that will make even the best in IT have to do a lot of work to prevent and fix it. Basically, this is when a hacker is able to get ahold of private or sensitive information and they demand a ransom to get the information returned.

Sometimes the hacker just has the information, other times they will choose to freeze up a whole system and make it impossible to use. Even when. You agree to pay the ransom, there is little chance that the data will be returned and that the hacker will leave you alone in the future.

Ransomware is simply a type of malware that can infect a network or a computer. It then encrypts the files or finds another way to deny others access to them before demanding some kind of ransom in the process. Usually, the malware will not delete the files. They will be present on the network, but without the decryption key, no one can access them.

There are a lot of threats that come with this kind of attack, such as the permanent deletion of the files. But whether you pay or not, the hacker is already on the system and is the one in control the whole time.

There are a few things you can do to prevent this security threat. First, teach your employees about how it works and how to not open suspicious files or attachments in their emails. This can help keep the chance of ransomware off the computer.

Backing up your data and keeping records off the main part is a good idea too. This will allow you to start over with the information you need, without having to play the games, and most often lose, with the hacker.

4. Consider a Cybersecurity Audit

If you are worried about some of the security risks that show up in the workplace, it may be a good idea to do a full audit of your system. A cybersecurity audit allows a professional to take a look at your network and the way it is used to determine whether there are any weaknesses that could increase your risk of an attack.

Getting this audit done is one of the best ways to see where your security is right now. When it is done you should have a complete report about what is working and what is not when it comes to your network. Expect there to be things wrong with the audit. This is just a chance to fix them.

When the audit is done, take some time to go through all the different recommendations and suggestions and find ways to improve your network security. Even small steps in the right direction make it less likely someone will get onto the system who should not be there.

5. Keeping Your Network Safe

There are a number of IT security risks that you need to be careful about when it comes to the workplace. Planning ahead, recognizing some of these issues, and completing a cybersecurity audit can help you get the right level of security you need.

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Cybersecurity Threats In Asset Tracking And Strategies To Mitigate

The security implications of an expanding sprawl of devices, software, SaaS applications, users, and cloud services are important. However, poor cybersecurity creates a critical risk for the overall business. Chief among them is a higher risk of business disruptions. A breach might make essential data or systems unavailable, preventing the business from functioning. Therefore, the rate of change makes the manual work of managing, finding, and securing all these assets not tedious but error-prone and wasteful of valuable resources. To mitigate cybersecurity threats, business firms must adopt strategies to resolve the breach issue. This article will emphasize cybersecurity threats faced in asset tracking and strategies that will help resolve the issues. Common Cybersecurity Threats In Asset Tracking Below-mentioned are common cybersecurity threats in asset tracking. 1. CEO Fraud CEO fraud and business email compromise (BEC) pose significant challenges to asset tracking for business owners. Therefore, this type of cyberattack can lead to financial losses and disruption of operations. Similarly, it occurs when an attacker impersonates a high-ranking executive, typically through email, to trick employees into transferring money or confidential information. Furthermore, asset tracking could mean convincing your business to approve a large purchase. It might also be a transfer that diverts funds intended for legitimate tracking systems or physical assets. This threat might cause your business to lose money. This can result in inventory discrepancies, misallocation of resources, and difficulties in auditing. 2. Ransomware Ransomware significantly threatens asset tracking systems, impacting businesses across various industries. These systems often rely on connected devices and networks to monitor and manage assets, making them prone to cyberattacks. Sensitive asset information, such as ownership, location, and financial details, can be compromised. If cybercriminals steal this data alongside encryption, they may leverage it for further extortion or sell it on the dark web. So, when a ransomware attack occurs, a malicious breach can encrypt critical data related to asset tracking. This can lead to: Disruptions in operations. Loss of visibility over inventory. Need to work on managing assets effectively. However, you may find your business still looking for items. This often leads to delays in production or logistics, which can ultimately affect the firm's goodwill. 3. Payment Fraud Payment fraud poses a significant threat to asset tracking systems, as it can undermine the precision and reliability of financial transfers related to asset management. Fraudulent activities, such as chargebacks or using stolen payment information, can lead to financial losses and disruption in inventory control. So, when payments are initiated deceptively, assets may be acquired without legal transactions, complicating the tracking of ownership and inventory levels. Furthermore, asset tracking systems rely on data integrity to function effectively. If fraud is present, it can lead to discrepancies in reported data, making it challenging to assess the actual status of assets. 4. Data Breaches Due to its cloud-based nature, Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) can indeed experience data breaches. When access control systems are hosted in the cloud, they may face various security challenges, such as: Unauthorized access. Data interception. Potential misconfigurations. One of the primary risks is the reliance on internet connectivity, which can expose sensitive data to interception during transmission. Moreover, user authentication is important. Weak passwords or insufficient multifactor authentication can allow unauthorized users to gain access to the system. Compliance and ensuring that data is handled according to regulations also pose risks, especially if the service provider stores data across different regions. 5. Automated Methods Criminals often leverage automated methods to launch large-scale attacks on various businesses, using customized malware to ruin specific susceptibilities. Similarly, this approach will permit the ransoms to efficiently target multiple systems simultaneously. It will further increase your business's chance of success while reducing the time and effort required for each attack. On the other hand, automated tools also enable attackers to refine their techniques continuously based on real-time feedback. This is because as the tools gather data from previous attacks, they can adjust their malware to improve its effectiveness against specific targets. It is even more challenging for organizations to defend against such threats. Strategies To Mitigate Cybersecurity Risk Below-mentioned are strategies to resolve cybersecurity risks faced within the business. 1. Conduct Risk Assessment Perform a cybersecurity risk assessment to identify the issues your business faces or might face in the coming years. Similarly, the risk assessment results will anticipate your organization’s readiness to respond to security events and uncover your infrastructure’s vulnerabilities to common attacks, such as malware, ransomware, brute-force attacks, and more. Install asset tracking software in your business to conduct risk assessments efficiently. This will help you track location, save fleet costs, and improve asset management. In addition, you can also include the following steps: List down all physical and digital assets and their potential threats. Create a risk register listing risks and mitigate steps. Analyze each threat's likelihood and impact on the organization. 2. Continuous Monitoring When prioritizing vulnerabilities based on the challenges to business assets, it is essential to evaluate both the likelihood of exploitation and the potential impact on the organization. Here is a structured approach to help with this task: Identify assets. Determine potential impacts. Analyze the likelihood of each vulnerability being exploited. Use a risk scoring system to combine impact and probability into a single score. For high-priority vulnerabilities, devise appropriate remediation plans. 3. Include Asset Lifecycle Management To successfully manage each asset throughout its lifecycle, it is vital to incorporate a structured approach that includes the following critical practices: Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all assets, including hardware, software, and licenses. Establish a schedule for routine updates to ensure that all assets are running the latest software versions. Implement a patch management strategy to check for and apply security patches regularly. Use monitoring tools to track asset performance and health. By incorporating these practices, you can ensure that each asset is effectively managed, enhancing security, performance, and longevity throughout its lifecycle. Wrapping Up Thus, asset-tracking software can be implemented within the business for multiple uses. The business needs to identify, address, and assess the security risk posed by devices and assets of all types. However, it is best to create essential security awareness for the staff to assist them in spotting warning signs and trigger alerts. The systematic monitoring of security log files can give the security team early warnings of possible attacks. Read Also: The Importance Of Cybersecurity In The Digital Age Everything You Need To Know About PKI In Cybersecurity Top 10 Cybersecurity Features That Are A Must-Have In An Ecommerce Store

8 Ways you can Improve Safety in a Workplace

The workplace is where most people spend their time. On average most people spend more than 8 hours in their workplace. That is a very long time and the least you can do is be sure that the workplace you provide for your staff is safe. A safe work environment will keep your staff safe and motivated and therefore increase productivity. There are several things you can do to ensure that you provide a healthy workplace for your employees. 1. Cleanliness Ensure the workplace is clean at all times and is free of any clutter. A cluttered workplace can cause accidents and inconveniences. Keep the walkway and ensure everything is returned where it’s supposed to be. Any spills should be wiped as soon as it happens.in this day of coronavirus it's important you get your employees with a good face mask and hand sanitizers to ensure they stay safe. And if you can, let them work from home just to keep them safe. 2. Train Your Employees Train your employees on safety measures in the workplace. You can even outsource professionals to train your employees in safety practices and ensure all employees go through the training and practice what they learn.it may seem like an unnecessary expense but trust me it will save you a lot of employee injury and also keep your employees safe and productive. You also partner with occupational clinicians who can do regular inspections and alert you on areas where there is a potential risk of harming or injuring your staff. 3. Use Signs and Label Everything This sounds very simple but it can really help in keeping the workplace safe. It is basically communicating informing everyone where everything is and where everything is happening. For example, when the cleaning staff is doing cleaning they should always put a sign for wet floors or slippery floors to prevent people from slipping and falling which may cause injuries or destruction of property. For example in lab labels, things that could harm people for example radioactive material, sharp objects, etc. They should always be clearly labeled. Hospitals and laboratories should take labels and signs very seriously because accidents in such places could be fatal. 4. Provide the Necessary Equipment for Your Employees Provide protective gear for your employees where necessary. The right equipment will improve your employees’ productivity. For example, hospitals provide PPE and the necessary protective gear for doctors and nurses who are dealing with contagious diseases. This will encourage the doctors to treat their patients better because they know they are well protected.it will also keep them safe from infections. Also, ensure all employees understand all safety practices and adhere to them to protect themselves and others in the workplace. 5. Encourage Rest for Your Employees You can provide a break room where your staff can go to rest and relax. We have heard stories of employees harming themselves due to work pressure. Encourage your employees to take breaks when necessary. If possible you can even provide an in-house therapist to help employees deal with work pressure especially if the job is emotionally intense for example in hospitals. 6. Fire Safety Fire is one of the leading dangers to both homes and also workplaces. Fires can be caused by many things. But the cost in workplaces is electric fires. You should be very difficult with electricity in the workplace. Switch off all appliances that are not being used, avoid overloading of sockets. Conduct regular repairs and maintenance, repair all damages as soon as they are discovered. Get the circuit breaker manufacturing company to show you where they install the circuit breaker and how exactly it is used in case of any problem. Electricity is not only the cause of fires in workplaces. Some workplaces especially restaurants have other things that can cause fires like stoves, grease, etc. For restaurants ensure that the kitchen is well equipped with firefighting essentials like fire extinguishers. 7. Hold Meetings on Safety Often Have regular meetings to review safety measures. Communicate new measures and brainstorm on the already implemented rules of safety. You can also welcome new ideas to improve safety for everyone. Make it easy for your staff to communicate safety concerns that they may have. They can also report incidences as soon as they happen and potential dangers too. You can also appoint one of the staff members to be in charge of safety in the workspace for easier communication. Reward employees who practice safety measures so that you can encourage the rest to follow suit. 8. Create a Safety Culture Make workplace safety culture in your business. Incorporate safety behavior in your day-to-day activities let it be part of your company policy and culture. Make safety as important as your core business. Let the staff understand the importance of safety. Identify the most causes of injury in your workspace for example if you run a restaurant and the main injury is burns make it everyone’s responsibility to observe fire safety even though they do not deal with fire directly. Conclusion It is your responsibility as an employer to keep your employees safe when at work. You should provide a conducive environment for all your employees to be comfortable while they work. A safe environment also increases the productivity of your employees. Keeping your employees safe and preventing injury can also protect you from legal issues. Read Also: What To Do About Discrimination In The Workplace: First Steps To Take Strategies For Preventing Workplace Injuries Proactively 5 Tips For Employee Retention For Any Organization What Is Employee Leasing? Overview And Explained In 2021

A Comprehensive Guide To IT Consulting Services

Does your business need IT consulting services? Information technology consultants create strategic roadmaps for their clients by laying out their goals, objectives, and business drivers. Such a roadmap is essential for making sure your technology organization is aligned with your overall corporate strategy. The demand for cybersecurity consulting and digital transformation is becoming stronger as companies embrace artificial intelligence, mobile technologies, cloud migration, and big data. Almost seventy percent of business owners claim that their cybersecurity risks are on the rise. Hence, professional assistance is more than welcome. The Guide Below Will Introduce You To IT Consulting Services: 1. IT strategy and planning IT strategy and planning are frequently requested by businesses. Strategic information technology is the core value of companies, as it helps them invest in the best technologies to be prepared for the upcoming challenges. IT consultants work with businesses in devising a strategic plan that sets their short-term and long-term goals, as well as a plan on how to achieve them. 2. Budgeting Another service that’s closely connected to strategic planning is IT budgeting. Many companies face challenges in trying to build an IT budget because of not understanding their information technology needs. Professional IT consultants will assist you in developing a realistic budget that incorporates your resources and assets. Besides your own resources, the budget also comprises the estimated costs of the new technology that delivers the greatest value to your organization. See this page for some tips on creating a budget. 3. Security risk assessment Another IT consulting service of tremendous assistance to businesses is security risk assessment. Since companies rely more and more on technology, security risks increase as well. Consequently, a data breach or a ransomware cyberattack may cause significant legal, reputational, and financial damage. Anyhow, by conducting a security risk assessment, these consultants will define the level of risk and create a mitigation approach for its minimization. 4. Cloud and data migration services Cloud and data migration services help companies transfer their applications and data from physical data centers to public and private clouds. Such transfer is usually performed to improve security and reduce costs. Professional consultants are experienced in developing the perfect strategy for cloud migration by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of each cloud provider, calculating the costs, and then implementing a plan to ensure a smooth migration. 5. IT assessment Another type of consulting service for businesses to consider is the IT assessment. As time goes by, your network keeps on developing by adding hardware and software layers, which might lead to overlooked security gaps. Fortunately, information technology consultants are capable of performing a detailed review of your computing environment. This article, https://www.securityweek.com/top-five-security-gaps-hybrid-it, includes the top five security gaps in hybrid IT. In the course of these reviews, consultants perform an examination of the current technology to see its effect on your business development. Your existing technology is either hindering or assisting your business to grow, meaning changes have to be made in the former situation. Once the evaluation is completed, you will receive it in writing. The written version of the evaluation identifies the crucial areas that would benefit from an improvement. Related Resource: Standard Consulting Updating Businesses Now On ISO 9001 Changes 6. Business continuity and disaster recovery This consulting service is indispensable for preventing business interruptions from affecting the flow of work. Such interruptions are bound to happen, which is why a disaster recovery plan is of vital importance in times of crisis. Information technology consulting firms are experienced in the formulation of such plans, which explain how employees are expected to communicate during a crisis, access the necessary tools, and find the data they need. These plans are of great value when business interruptions occur, as the process of work should keep on flowing. Reasons to hire IT consulting services These consulting firms are worth hiring because of providing businesses with numerous advantages. The majority of IT consulting firms place the focus on the optimization of core business processes. These processes can be optimized by improving employee productivity, tracking performance, achieving maximum efficiency, and building an effective strategy. Information technology consultants help their clients improve their organizational structure by some of the burdens off their shoulders. As not all employees are equipped with knowledge of technology, the chances of them making errors are much higher. By hiring professional consultants, your staff members can get back to their daily tasks and be much more productive. Another reason for companies to consider hiring such consulting services is the cost-effectiveness of making such a decision. The act of hiring full-time information technology employees involves paying salaries, compensations, perks, and other benefits. Even when there are no challenges for them to address, you will still have to pay them. Consultants, however, aren’t hired on a permanent basis. They work on given projects and leave once the work is entirely performed. You won’t be obliged to pay any additional expenses, just the agreed cost for their services. Additionally, these specialists will use fewer resources compared to the resources used by in-house teams. Once their job on a project is done, you won’t need to keep them on the payroll. Another reason why many companies consider hiring such specialists is the experience they bring to the table. They are experts in the information technology field and know every nook and cranny of the market. These experts devote most of their time to doing research on the IT industry so as to get familiar with all the new products and upcoming trends. Learn more useful facts about the information technology sector. The availability of these consultants is usually 24/7, meaning they are on the job at any time of day or night. Given most of them work with clients from different parts of the globe, you can get assistance whenever necessary. Nevertheless, instead of assuming that your provider offers 24/7 assistance, make sure to confirm this assumption during the interview, as well as ask whether you will get charged extra for making calls in the middle of the night. By hiring such a consulting firm, you will also be able to train your staff. Consultants can assume the role of mentors for your in-house personnel by sharing their knowledge and experience. The areas in which your employees would benefit the most from receiving IT training are related to security and troubleshooting issues. It’s useful for your personnel members to know how to troubleshoot the most basic IT issues instead of immediately seeking assistance. In contrast, the security training will help them identify the most frequent cybersecurity risks in order for them to report these threats or, even better, block them. Increased employee productivity is another benefit of partnering with an IT consulting firm. In small businesses, it’s common for in-house teams to have too many projects on their plate, which leads to increased stress and reduced productivity. Professional consultants can free up your team of employees to get back to their core functions. Consequently, their productivity will improve significantly. See this URL, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/to-increase-productivity-_b_6639482, for the key to increasing productivity. To sum up Hiring such a consultant is a necessity for any business relying on information technology. A trusted advisor can translate the newest technologies into a competitive benefit for your company! Read Also: Is Other Consumer Services A Good Career Path In 2021? Do You Need A Restaurant Consultant to Open A Restaurant? SEO Consulting Price: The Average Cost of SEO Services in 2021

Common IT Security Risks in the Workplace

1. Insider Threats

2. Social Engineering

3. Ransomware

4. Consider a Cybersecurity Audit

5. Keeping Your Network Safe

Identify Malicious Emailers With Online Tools

Benefits of penetration testing To Businesses

Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

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Related

Cybersecurity Threats In Asset Tracking And Strategies To Mitigate

8 Ways you can Improve Safety in a Workplace

A Comprehensive Guide To IT Consulting Services

Common IT Security Risks in the Workplace

1. Insider Threats

2. Social Engineering

3. Ransomware

4. Consider a Cybersecurity Audit

5. Keeping Your Network Safe

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Identify Malicious Emailers With Online Tools

Benefits of penetration testing To Businesses

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

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Popular

Follow Us

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