Are Hidden Workplace Pressures Eroding Your Business Security?

Realistically, the biggest cyberthreats you are likely to face will be born within your office. This is not to say that you’ve actually hired a team of cybercriminals posing as good-intentioned employees… In many cases, the issue actually stems from how good-natured your employees are.

In their drive to prove their worth, these team members can develop habits that counterproductively harm your organization. Let’s dive in and discuss a few ways this happens, and what can be done about it.

How Being Better at Your Job Leads to Being Worse in Terms of Security

As counterintuitive as it may sound, dedication to one’s role and responsibilities can often detract from security-centric workplace habits. The reason for this is simple: the push for constant (and continually improving) productivity often conflicts with the protocols necessary to maintain security.

Your Employees All Have an Internal Compliance Budget

All modern businesses should have an established compliance budget set aside to cover any upgrades and improvements to their IT, but it is just as important to acknowledge that each and every employee has one hardcoded into their brains. This budget controls their attention and available effort, dictating how much energy they can devote to security before their productivity suffers (at which point they will seek workarounds to bypass your protections).

Security should never be perceived as an obstacle, especially since these workarounds tend to introduce various issues, like unsanctioned technologies being used and data leaving your business’ control. This whole situation is known as cybersecurity fatigue and, predictably, has its fair share of impacts on your business.

What Does Cybersecurity Fatigue Cost Your Business?

Consider the fable of the boy who cried wolf. His repeated false alarms frustrated the townsfolk so much that, when an actual wolf showed up, they assumed it was another lie and left the hapless shepherd to be eaten along with his flock.

With that in mind, think about what you did the last time you checked your email. Did you pay attention to every address that sent you a message? Did you hover over every single link to confirm its legitimacy? If we’re being honest, probably not. It’s the same reason so many people default to reusing one password over and over again—it’s just easier than dealing with the more secure alternative. The more alerts, reminders, and repetitive training your team has to juggle, the faster this fatigue is likely to set in, regardless of how technically adept they are.

The only feasible solution is to make security the easier option.

The Solution: Make Security Nudges Smaller and More Consistent

Instead of sporadically having your team sit down for hours-long seminars, it is far more effective and easier to digest to regularly provide more granular training… especially in formats other than lectures. It is also a good idea to audit your current protections to identify particularly risky practices and focus on them initially.

In short, security needs to be seen as a benefit to your business, rather than merely as a necessary protection.

We’re here to help. Reach out to us to learn more about how we can help you increase your business’ security by calling (954) 573-1300.