Page 69 - Cyber Warnings

Is Your Workforce the Weakest Link in Your Security Policy?

By John Brenberg, Information Security & Compliance Manager, 3M and member of the 3M-
sponsored Visual Privacy Advisory Council.

Just like thieves roam bustling tourist areas, hackers look for easy opportunities to gather
valuable data.

Companies are spending record amounts to protect themselves from cybersecurity threats –
reaching $75 billion last year – which means attackers may seek new weaknesses to exploit.

The sad reality is that employees may be that new weakness. Many don’t apply the same
vigilance to protecting corporate information as they do their own personal information.

An employee carefully shielding an ATM keypad while entering their PIN may not think twice
about leaving network log-in information taped to their computer monitor at work.

So how can you get employees to break bad habits and protect corporate information with the
same diligence they do their own personal information?

Conduct a Risk Assessment

A risk assessment of employee habits can help identify the risks – both inside and outside your
company’s walls.

A growing number of companies have open-office floorplans, which reduce privacy and may be
more susceptible to visual hacking. Or perhaps employees have formed a habit of propping
open security doors, or letting in visitors without proper authentication.

Going beyond your building’s footprint, employees also risk falling prey to hackers while
accessing company information on their daily train commute, working remotely from an airport
or coffee shop, or attending a conference.

Apply Changes

After a risk assessment, the proper policies, tools and training can be put in place. For example,
when traveling, workers should use loaner computers, which may help limit the information
available to hackers if a device is compromised.

Workers should also avoid public Wi-Fi hotspots, as hackers can use those to intercept
unencrypted data .

69 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – September 2016 Edition
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