Saturday the 16th of October is National Boss’s Day, a day to demonstrate appreciation for all good bosses and the roles that they hold. National Boss’s Day originated in back in 1958 and is still celebrated today. This National Boss’s Day, learn how to keep your employees safe online.

The first step to digital security is making sure your employees have a proper education of the cyberspace that they’re in. Many cyber attacks can happen from within the office and can be caused accidentally by employees.

When hiring a new employee, it would make sense to have them go through training so that they can perform their given tasks accurately. It is advised that they also go through digital training during the onboard process to ensure that the companies’ private data is protected. But it shouldn’t stop there. You should host consistent training programmes to ensure your employees are up to date on their cyber-safety knowledge.

Oftentimes, employees receive emails from seemingly legitimate sources asking for sensitive information. These emails can be very convincing, causing sensitive company data to be compromised if responded to. Sometimes the email will contain a link leading to a login page, often resembling a legitimate site. Once employees input data in the login page, that data is stolen and stored by cybercriminals. This is known as phishing and can be conducted in a number of ways.

Just as your employee’s data is essential, it is equally important to protect customers’ sensitive information. “Unfortunately, 64 percent of small businesses are victims of internal employee theft. As such, it’s essential to perform routine safety checks to make sure your business is protected. Update inventory regularly, change passwords frequently, distribute the workload evenly, and check-in with employees frequently to ensure your business is secured from the inside out,” says Sage Singleton from SafeWise.

Making use of a VPN in the office is one of the best ways to ensure the security of your companies’ data. By creating a private network, you can ensure that only authorized users can access the network. If you have remote employees, they can connect to the private network from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection and resume their work securely. This allows you to control who has access to the companies’ network, and therefore, its data.

It is advised to take preventative measures to secure your data. As irritating as it is to have a software update pop up in the middle of a meeting, it is much harder to fix a security issue after it’s happened. That’s why it’s important to allow your devices to update, as software updates almost always include privacy upgrades. Use your training time to go over software maintenance schedules, app installs, proper reporting procedures and password changes. It is advised that you change passwords often. Remember to use long and complex passwords that aren’t easy to guess. 

From the founder to the new intern, it is important for everyone with your company to remember not to click on or open any suspicious links. If it looks suspicious, it probably is. Always hover over a link before clicking it to ensure you are being directed to the intended URL. Look for “https:” as opposed to “http:”, as these sites are often more secure than others since they have gone through the process of obtaining a security certificate.

Ensure your companies’ safety by implementing a Digital Risk Protection platform, such as CyberSharp Protect. These platforms constantly monitor your online data and alert you when there is a breach, or any suspicious activity occurring online. Be a Boss this Boss’s Day and protect yourself, your business, and your employees with CyberSharp Protect.