One of the biggest fears I have is having our server exposed to some form of crypto locker malware. And it’s also not a case of if it happens, but when, because it will.
As an organisation that relies on digital information, it’s crucial to protect your business from malware attacks. Unfortunately, despite having robust anti-virus and anti-malware software in place, these measures are not enough to prevent every attack. Your frontline troops against malware are your users. Therefore, it’s crucial to educate and train them on how to identify and respond to potential threats.
The first step to ensuring your users know what to do when faced with a potential threat is to establish policies and procedures for them to follow. These should include guidelines for safe internet browsing, downloading files, and using external devices such as USB sticks.
To ensure that your policies and procedures are followed, your users must be made aware of them and regularly reminded of their importance. This can be done through regular training sessions, newsletters, or even posters around the office. These reminders will help keep the policies and procedures top of mind and encourage your users to follow them.
The next step is to expose your users to potential threats in a safe manner. This can be done through simulated phishing attacks, where fake emails are sent to your users to see if they can identify them as a potential threat. These exercises can be used to reinforce the importance of following policies and procedures and identify any knowledge gaps that need to be addressed.
It’s also essential to establish a reporting culture around incidents at your workplace. Your users should know that if they identify a potential threat, they should report it immediately. This helps to ensure that the necessary steps can be taken to prevent the spread of the malware and mitigate its impact. It’s crucial to foster an environment where reporting incidents is encouraged, and those who do report are not ridiculed or punished for admitting to making a mistake. When your users feel safe reporting incidents, they are more likely to come forward, and you can take the necessary steps to prevent further damage.
Ridiculing or punishing those who report incidents can lead to a culture of fear where users are hesitant to report anything, including potential threats. This culture of fear can lead to incidents going unreported, leaving your organisation vulnerable to further attacks. Instead, when a user reports an incident, take the time to thank them for their diligence and reporting the incident. By bringing things to light when they have they have saved you a whole bunch of wasted time head scratching and narrowed down investigations. Be careful to make sure that your users feel valued and appreciated when they report an incident. It helps to foster a culture where reporting incidents is seen as a positive action, rather than a negative one.
In conclusion, prevention is always better than cure when it comes to malware attacks. While anti-virus and anti-malware software are crucial components of your cybersecurity infrastructure, they are not enough to protect your organisation from every attack. Educating and training your users on how to identify and respond to potential threats. Create a culture of trust and openness to help prevent further damage and mitigate the impact of any incidents that do occur. When users have clear directions to take and feel safe to report incidents, they can help protect your organisation from potential threats, ultimately helping to safeguard your business. So take the time to establish policies and procedures, train your users, and expose them to potential threats in a safe manner to prevent malware attacks from occurring.
