The resulting security breakdowns occur because there’s a perception that security is only the responsibility of a company’s information technology security officer.
A company that fails to correct that impression may inadvertently foster a casual attitude among employees, who then naturally view security as outside of their day-to-day purview.
It is surprising how much impact a vigilant attitude can have.
Making security a high priority for each employee begins with a company culture that stresses how much each individual contributes to a company’s overall IT security.
For starters, management should invest in security training and educate the work force about best practices. It’s the simple stuff–such as encouraging employees to reset their own passwords–that can ease the burden placed on IT staffs. Ensurin that they reset pass codes regularly, avoiding the use of birthdays and names as passwords, and being conscientious about logging out when working from a remote or public location, als help.
Individual users also need to get the message that opening e-mail attachments from unknown sources or using one’s own name as a network password are also security risks.
Companies also need to articulate a thorough security policy. Security measures that protect against unauthorized network access are obviously necessary, but that only tells part of the story.
As security budgets grow and threats continue to mount, companies should begin to educate employees and instill cultures that encourage individuals to take responsibility for IT security.
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