According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 52% of data security breaches are caused by human error. In a perfect world there would be a guide over every employee’s shoulder coaching them on how to use your IT systems and stopping them before making a critical error. However, there are 3 common human errors humans make that can help you avoid potential costly mistakes.
- Failure To Follow Policies and Procedures
If your employee handbook doesn’t have an outline for IT use, you need to create one immediately. Whether it’s personal electronic use in the workplace or guidelines for appropriate use of office technology, having rules that prevent employees from putting your company at jeopardy is critical to success.
If you DO have a guidebook for how to use technology in the workplace, make sure you perform regular instruction on how to use it. Create a safe place for employees less verse in technology to ask questions and get extra support to learn how to use it.
- Lack of Expertise
As we mentioned above, not everyone you employ will be familiar with technology. Provide extra training and development for employees less up to speed with the latest IT you are using. It may seem like a hassle now, but will help you in the long-run to prevent IT disaster.
- Lack of Communication / Knowledge of New ThreatsDo you send out alerts on the latest phishing scams? Latest viruses? Newest phone call scam? If you answered no, it’s time to provide updates to your staff. You can quickly scan any major news outlet for the latest IT scam or threat and provide updates to your company. Don’t assume everyone else will be watching the news too.
These may seem like daunting tasks if you do not have a designated IT department. However, it is worth investing the time to prevent critical errors. Remember: even the most protected businesses can end up with a security breach. Always have a back-up solution, like Axcient, should disaster occur.
