You have probably noticed a common theme in all our posts- the importance of security for businesses. It’s no secret that practically any company which uses computers is at risk of becoming a victim of cyber attacks and hacking. Organizations need to invest in the correct blend of security software which increases their protection and helps keep intruders away from their data. Unfortunately, there’s another consideration which has to be taken into account: computer security demands employees who understand technology.

Studies continually show that  people are still the weakest link in computer and Internet security. Poor password choices, combined with a weak understanding of technology, are usually the culprits which allow massive data breaches and attacks to succeed. Employers have to work out a security strategy which takes the computer knowledge of their employees into consideration.

Computers Jargon is Complicated

There’s no denying that computers aren’t always the easiest to understand, particularly for some older generation workers. Many have trouble figuring how to use a computer for its basic functions and don’t even take security into consideration. Even more advanced users can find computer terminology tricky and not bother to learn anything about it. An article from Reuters captures the problem perfectly:

Computer jargon, a “tick box” culture and unimaginative advertising are discouraging Internet users from learning how to protect themselves online.

Faced with such gobbledegook, many of the world’s nearly 2 billion Internet users conclude that security is for “experts” and fail to take responsibility for the security of their own patch of cyberspace — a potentially costly mistake.

Some developers are making a move towards creating more user-friendly computer software but this doesn’t mean it’s time to relax. A lot of proprietary and specialized software is still challenging to understand. Occassionally, developers can even add to the confusion- take for example the troubles caused by Adobe’s security updates. Companies need to take charge and face the problem head.

Solutions for Companies

Unfortunately, there’s no easy fix to the problem. Companies will have to explore several solutions to find which one works best for their employees.

1. Hire tech savvy employees
2. Run educational workshops
3. Choose the correct mix of security software

Ideally, businesses would be able to implement all three solutions to create an extremely secure business environment. However, most organizations have a specific budget in place and need to work within its constraints. Exclusively hiring tech savvy workers can be costly as in many cases, they’ll require a higher salary. It also may be complicated to find workers with an in depth understanding of security for certain jobs. Educational workshops can be effective but often have mixed results. It’s challenging, if not impossible, to quantify their value; there’s no real way to measure if an employee is truly ready for the dangers of the Internet after training. Additionally,these workshops usually have to be outsourced and can be costly.

Using the correct type of computer protection is usually the most affordable and reasonable option. By choosing the correct products, businesses can use software which requires minimal interaction yet fully protects users. It’s important to implement encryption software as part of the security package and we feel that Alertsec Xpress is a top candidate for the role. Our full disk encryption service is easy to install and manage; it also require very little additional use from employees. Best of all, it’s affordable and can complement hundreds of other anti-virus suites perfectly. To start countering employees who don’t understand computer security, start a free trial now!

Further Reading
People Are Still The Weakest Link In Computer And Internet Security, Study Finds [Science Daily]
Computer jargon baffles users, hinders security [Reuters]