VIPRE highlights need to invest in a human firewall

With the remote working approach becoming an ever-growing trend in organisations, security measures need to adapt to suit. VIPRE’s report emphasises the importance of businesses prioritising this change and investing in protecting themselves and their workers from cyber-attacks, such as implementing ongoing training and providing staff with the correct tools to prevent attacks. This has never been more crucial, as email phishing scams and malware attacks increased during lockdown, with hackers taking advantage of those who were away from the support of their IT teams.

Additionally, the ‘new normal’ of hybrid working opens a variety of cyber-attack points, including unsecured internet connections, to simple distractions you normally wouldn’t have in an office environment. Protection starts with the human, as 85 per cent of data breaches involve an internal mistake, indicating a need for change, and the foundation of this is investing in your human firewall.

The new report by VIPRE outlines the key principles that all companies and employees should have moving forward, including:

• Security awareness embedded as part of company culture 
• Security awareness as second nature 
• Training for security awareness as an ongoing process in the workplace
• Staff to be informed of new threats and understand the processes to protect themselves and the company network.

Andrea Babbs, UK General Manager, VIPRE said, “the key to a successful human firewall is changing the mindset of the human. With workforces now dispersed, it’s crucial that employees are fully trained and ready to act on security issues with the right tools at their disposal, instead of relying on IT support teams to assist them.

“By following the key principles outlined in the report, companies have a better chance of preventing cyber-attacks happening in the changeable work environment we are all experiencing.”