Every computer system is vulnerable, some more than others. But you don’t need to resort to creating your own operating system or to severing all ties with the outside world in order to create an acceptable level of cyber security.
All too frequently, the weakest links in the chain of security are the users. Surfing unsafe sites, opening email bombs and other bad moves open a system to any number of cyber threats.
Whether the threat comes in the form of a computer virus or worm, spyware, adware, psychoware or spam, the damage can come in a number of forms including that of slowing down your computer or Internet connection, wasting your time with distractions, damaging data or even hardware, or bringing your entire operation to a standstill.
Some computer users already know a great deal about what to do and what not to do, but can you take the chance that they know all of the problem areas? Your one Achilles heel may just be the computer expert who thinks they are above the law of averages and continue to take risky measures. And then there are the employees who simply do not know how to create a secure password.
1. Password security. Millions of people create passwords that are too easy for hackers—”123abc,” “john555” or “betty.” Writing down your password and stuffing the paper in your top drawer is also very insecure.
2. Email safety. Opening an email from someone you don’t know is potentially hazardous. Opening an attachment from that same person can spell major trouble. Also, clicking on a link in such an email can lead to a site which downloads all manner of nefarious software.
3. Safe Internet surfing. Surfing indiscriminately across the web can expose you to bad software like viruses or key loggers. Do you want the bad guys to record your passwords—all of them?
4. Taking work home. Isn’t it admirable that some employees love their job so much that they take work home? But the blessing backfires if the disk they bring back to work contains a virus not detected by their personal antivirus program.
5. Installing unauthorized software. An employee who likes to let off steam by playing a game he downloaded at home or wants to use some other software they found at a swap meet, opens the computer system to potential problems.
6. Workspace security. People hate frustrations and some think that logging into their workstation is an annoyance. Turning off the workstation time-out, so they never have to log in after a break, opens their system to unauthorized use.
Each of these security breaches can be handled easily, but only if each employee knows about each problem and what to do in each instance. This is such a vital issue that many companies include security training courses as part of their corporate training program. And naturally, the simplest way to accomplish this is with online training courses from the OpenSesame elearning marketplace.