Johannesburg, 28 Oct 2021
While October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the seriousness of cyber crime should take daily precedence. Particularly in companies where a ‘work-from-anywhere’ culture is the order of the day. According to the 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), 85% of data breaches involve a human element such as phishing, stolen credentials or simply human error.
Lastpass, an encrypted password manager, recently released findings on the research of the password habits of over 3 750 professionals across seven countries. The Psychology of Passwords research results found that:
- Sixty-five percent of respondents used the same or a variation of their password for the majority of their online accounts;
- Only 8% think it’s not a good idea to use a password that’s personal to them; and
- Twenty percent share pictures of their pets with their names on social media even though they use their pet names, or derivatives thereof, as their passwords.
Even more alarming is that since working remotely, 47% did not change their online security habits.
Companies' cyber security approaches should be three-pronged. Firstly, invest in proper network security to protect your information and data assets. Secondly, extend your security protocols beyond the office to protect your company from the threats that come with remote workers. Finally, train your team.
All it takes is one employee’s bad judgment to bring an entire organisation’s defence to its knees.
Domains.co.za takes cyber security seriously
“It is essential to appoint a cyber security officer that will help set up and drive your company’s cyber security strategy,” says Laura Kruger, head of client operations at Domains.co.za.
“We believe that the best way to combat this threat is to implement ongoing training sessions and by using practical, real-world examples. An employee who knows what to look out for will be more prepared when suspicious activity occurs. The best and most sophisticated software and scanners are useless if a company neglects to educate its employees. You are only as strong as your weakest link,” she adds.
Tips for employees working from home (WFH)
1. Create strong passwords –Create strong, unique and nonsensical passwords and activate multi-factor authentication. Look at using a free password manager program, eg, LastPass.
2. Corporate equipment is for employee use only –The members of your household did not receive the same cyber security training you did and could put the entire company at risk should you allow them to use your company laptop or mobile device.
3. Secure home WiFi router passwords –Make sure your WiFi router has a strong, unique password. Do not use the password the router came with.
4. Run updates –Outdated web applications (social media, web e-mail, WordPress, etc) and software programs (anti-virus, Windows and Mac OS, etc), including outdated plugins, open you up to risk, so be certain to run all updates the moment they become available.
5. Don’t use public WiFi for work – The free WiFi at the mall or coffee shop could open your device to risk. Don’t use public WiFi to access the office network ever, and we would recommend that you don’t even use it privately.
Domains.co.za is a domain name and website hosting company based in Johannesburg. We offer various value-added solutions to help our customers succeed online. Our ESET Anti-Virus solutions provide unique detection technology, two-way firewalls and bad website blocking so you can rest assured that your device is protected.
We specialise in practical solutions that feature timesaving and security-enhancing properties. With Domains.co.za’s WordPress Hosting, for example, all plugin and version updates are run automatically.
Cyber criminals are sophisticated and targeted in their attacks. Be on the alert, always!
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