Your employees may be the greatest threat to your company’s private data

According to a University of New Mexico report, hackers are not the greatest threat to sensitive company data breaches. “Hype & Heavy Tails: An In-Depth Look at Data Breaches” outlines two types of data breaches that companies can face, those involving negligent or malicious leaks.
Negligent data breaches are mistakes made by employees that lead to private information being made public. For example, a laptop containing company data was left on a bus. Malicious leaks are what most people associate with the term “data breach.” This is when a malicious hacker gains illegal access to company information by exploiting a flaw in the cybersecurity infrastructure.
According to the study, malicious data breaches are almost twice as common as negligent data breaches. As if that weren’t enough, the report found that malicious breaches are decreasing in size at a rate 15.6 percent per year over the 10-year study period. Negligent breaches have meanwhile remained constant.
Security training is essential for employees. This means that while hackers are important, it is equally important to train employees to keep sensitive data safe. Unfortunately, many companies don’t see privacy training as valuable and instead rely on employees’ common sense.
Experian, an information services company, commissioned a Ponemon Institute study in 2014 that found only 54% of employers had privacy and data protection awareness training. This could be one reason why negligent data breaches are twice as common as malicious leaks, as it is only a small percentage.
This is a shocking number, especially when you consider how much a data breach can cost a company.
According to a Ponemon Institute report, data breaches cost companies an average of $3.5 million. This, combined with the fact that most data breaches are caused internally, shows that businesses must begin to see the dangers even their most trusted employees pose for private information.
What can you do to prevent your company from being hacked? Like many other problems, education is the best way to solve employee negligence. Staff members who have received basic computer training and privacy training will be more valuable to your company. This will give them the skills to stop or slow down the flow of negligent data breaches.
Computer training for corporate employees is essential to a secure and private workplace. Your business could save a lot of headaches by giving employees the knowledge they need to avoid making mistakes with sensitive company data. You can see the positive impact that IT training can have on employees by visiting New Horizons Computer Training Center in Southern California and Southern Arizona.
Join us for our webinar, November 12, Cyber Security: Pathway To Forensics. Click here to find out more and register for a session.

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Cyber Security: Pathway To ForensicsThis webcast is two hours long and will introduce viewers to the basics of computer forensics. This tutorial webcast will demonstrate a variety open-source software. Find TrainingFind the class that suits your needs or your employees! Information SecurityAt New Horizons, our information security offerings are designed to ensure that your organization can be the “Secure Organization”–enabling you to target specific training for your business based on information security threats and organizational job roles.Cyber Secure: A Look at Employee Cybersecurity Habits in the WorkplaceThis white paper discusses what employees and employers can do to avoid breaches.