Cyber Defense eMagazine November Edition for 2021

The Top 3 Cyber Security Mistakes and How to Avoid
Them
As hacks become more common, organizations have no room for cybersecurity mistakes.
By Ivan Paynter, National Cybersecurity Specialist at ScanSource
Ransomware cost Americans an estimated $1.4 billion last year, and beyond high-profile hacks
like the Kaseya and Colonial Pipeline breaches, cyber threats are more common than ever. As a
result, businesses of all sizes are scrambling to learn more about cyber security and ensure that they
have the proper measures in place to protect their operations. These are the top three considerations
organizations must take into account when implementing or upgrading their cyber security approach.
1. People and Training
First and foremost, there is a significant lack of cybersecurity education among employees. The
human firewall is the most important defense, but it is also the most vulnerable. That means
security training has to be a top priority when it comes to an organization’s cyber security.
Organizations should implement a security awareness training platform which trains, tests and
scores all employees. It’s important to teach employees how to identify cyber security threats and
remain vigilant toward anything suspicious, such as scams, fraudulent emails, or even physical
threats. It’s also important to consider implementing some sort of email gateway filter. With the
rise of remote working, additional problems emerge as more people go mobile. For example, it is
much easier on mobile to mix company and private mail and people tend to click quickly, which
leads to errors. We all need to slow down, verify incoming requests and be cognizant of what we
are clicking on so that we do not fall victim to a cyber security threat.
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