After Cybersecurity month, it’s time to check on the cybersecurity myths and facts. Cybersecurity services, today, have turned out to be the most integral part of businesses. Companies are keen to invest in cyber defense and training. Despite all of it, there are still some misconceptions and myths about cybersecurity information that should be taken care of.
As many employees have moved to work from home due to the pandemic situation, there are chances of increasing vulnerability more than ever. This makes it even more challenging for companies to stay stubborn against misconceptions about IT security.
To make any business a better place to grow, it should stop believing and start dispelling the following myths –
1. Installing an anti-virus is enough
Installing anti-virus is vital for keeping any organization safe. But it does not necessarily protect from every malware attack. To provide an organization with complete protection, it needs a total solution that would cover everything from employee training, insider threat detection to disaster protection.
Anti-virus software comprises an extensive database that holds information on all the viruses. There can be chances that hackers can use a new kind of malware to enter the system. In such situations, the anti-virus software can’t detect such threats. Thus, depending entirely on this software should be avoided by the companies. Companies must learn that anti-virus is just the first line of defense for any system, and it should look for multiple defending options.
2. The need for a strong password
For any business, strong passwords form the basis of good cybersecurity practices. Implementing and enforcing a strong password is considered only the start.
Not only do employees need strong passwords, but companies also need to be more aware of who they allow accessing and what type of data.
A recent study stated that 41% of companies had at least 1,000 sensitive files open to all employees. Many companies don’t have a system in place to monitor admin access. Strong passwords help keep a company safe, but there’s a lot more at risk once employees are in the system.
3. Only the IT department is responsible for it
No doubt that the IT department is responsible for implementing new processes and policies to keep cybersecurity at its best. However, it’s not always possible to protect all of the computers in the network at once.
It can be made easier if each employee remains careful while receiving and opening different e-mail messages from colleagues or third parties. Implementing these practices can prevent the spreading of viruses to all the organization departments. The virus has the potential to turn into a data breach if left unchecked.
4. Malware enters externally
No doubt, external threats are a point of concern and need to be monitored extensively. Contradictory to it, insider threats prove to be more dangerous and need to be observed more carefully. Researchers are of the view that insider threats are responsible for up to 75% of data breaches.
These threats can come from any insider, such as disgruntled employees who are up to professional revenge. It can also come from a content employee unaware of cybersecurity threats; thus, it becomes essential to implement a system to monitor insider threats.
5. Not all industries are prone to attack
Some businesses still believe that hackers may not target them because they are a small or mid-sized business or a specific industry. Some companies also believe that they do not have anything that hackers may find valuable to steal. There is information like personal addresses or credit card numbers that can make every business in every industry a potential target.
6. Threats do not spread through the internet
Some organizations believe that disconnecting from the internet will prevent threats from entering the network, which is entirely wrong.
Consider an example where an employee enters with an infected flash drive and plugs it into an organization’s system—resulting in losing valuable information and making all computers infected.
Cases of important information getting stolen while shopping at a local retailer are also very common. So threats are all over the internet; the only solution to this can be employee awareness.
The list of cyber threats is unending. Thus, the ultimate goal of every organization should lead to creating data security awareness and cyber awareness. Different misconceptions amongst users can lead to unnecessary loss of data. Knowing myths and facts can help to ease all the cybersecurity factors.
For more such insightful content access our latest whitepapers on security and cybersecurity here.
