Cybersecurity Toolkit

From Jack Gorzynski

I remember the first time my dad gave me a box of tools: I was moving out for the first time. Dad gave me a hammer, two screwdrivers (one flathead, the other a Phillips), a rusty wrench, and a tape measure. Now it wasn’t much but it showed me that he wanted to make sure that I was ok. With the tools he gave me, I could fix any problems that came up in my time away from him. Well, I want to do the same for you but with cybersecurity. Now I’m not your father, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to be safe online. And there are tons of tools online that can help you strengthen your cybersecurity.

Listed below are seven powerful tools, normally found bundled together in one cybersecurity awareness program. These will turn your company’s digital security from zero to hero!

1. Continuous Dark Web Monitoring

The dark web can be a terrifying place: Cybercriminals use it as a home base for malware attacks, phishing schemes, and all sorts of other digital terror activity. Well, I don't recommend that you ever delve into that Marianas Trench of the Internet. However, you should know if your data is being passed around down there. A dark web monitoring service will alert you. You'll learn if emails, names, passwords, usernames, and other personal identifying information appear in the deep web. This gives you the chance to change passwords or back-up data before an attack occurs. A service like this could save you from having your identity stolen down the line.

2. Simulated Phishing

Over one fifth of all data breaches involve phishing schemes in some way (source). So there is never too much protection against it. In a phishing simulation, you and your employees will receive fake phishing emails disguised as real emails. These help you learn how to identify when you are being scammed. If you fall for the phishing scam, the program prompts you to take a training course. You learn to avoid them in the future. But congratulating those who pass is just as important as educating those that don’t. Positive reinforcement and gamification are invaluable aspects of simulated phishing that make it more effective. This tool builds habits that will only benefit your company in the long run.

3. Email Analysis Tool

Phishing attacks are one of the most prevalent scams on the Internet. Not only that but they can be very hard to catch if you are not paying attention. With email analysis, you only have to be suspicious of an email to know if it is a phishing attempt. An email analysis tool allows employees to test whether an email has signs of phishing just by clicking a button. Once triggered, these tools tell the employee what parts of the email make it likely to be a phishing attempt. Then they learn what to look for in the future. Save IT some time and possibly yourself some grief: Employ a tool that will put the power to uncover phishing schemes into the palm of your hand.

4. Weekly Micro Training Videos

One of the most important parts of strong cybersecurity is constant and regular training. Many training programs provide an annual training course that covers the basics. If you let that information fall into the recesses of your mind, it isn’t going to do you any good. That’s why short weekly trainings can be extremely helpful for your business. Remind your employees every week of the dangers that lurk on the Internet. And teach them the ways with which they can combat them. These trainings also keep your employees informed on the newest trends of cybercrime. Cybercriminals constantly evolve, so you and your employees must self-educate consistently. These trainings tend to be five minutes or less, and the cybersecurity program normally sends them directly to your inbox. Hey, five minutes for exponentially stronger cybersecurity sounds like a good deal to me!

5. Gamification & Employee Engagement:

As you read through this blog, you may be thinking, there’s NO WAY my busy employees have time for all of this. Also, there’s no way you have time to nag them the entire way. That’s why a training program that puts gamification and employee engagement first is a HUGE key to a program’s success. That, and participation from upper management helps, of course. When looking for a training program, make sure it’ll make your life easier, not harder. With positive reinforcement, gamified training, and a competitive leaderboard, you’ll do less nagging and more celebrating.

6. Simplified Management

Implementing a training program can seem daunting. All the time it would take you to rummage through all your employee’s data sounds IMPOSSIBLE. If you find the RIGHT program that helps you, and doesn’t hurt you, you’ll be on track to cybersecurity. Find a program that simplifies all the messy metrics into one easy-to-understand risk score. This helps your management team understand where their company’s cybersecurity stands. Then there's no more data overwhelm. One score indicates whether an employee is high, medium, or low risk, and how to improve. Adding a metric to your employee evaluations has never been easier.

7. Security Risk Assessment

You can’t fix a leaky roof if you don’t know where the water’s coming from; You can’t repair your engine if you don’t know what's broken; It’s impossible to fix a problem if you don’t know what the problem is. That is where a Security Risk Assessment comes in. This examination tells you where the holes in your cybersecurity are and how best to plug them up. There’s no point in guessing with something as important as cybersecurity. Go through an SRA to get a more confident answer.

Anything can happen at any time. That is the sentiment with which my father gave me his toolbox. He understood that being prepared is extremely important in life. That is exactly why you should always be prepared for a criminal to pounce. All these tools keep your staff on their toes. They prevent your business from falling victim to the next digital villain’s master scheme. The only thing I’m asking of you is to have the foresight to open the toolkit and use the tools.

But you don’t need to go to your dad for a toolbox when we’ve got everything that you need right here! BriskNET can provide everything mentioned above so that your company never has to worry about cybersecurity again. Contact BriskNET at 773.489.9986 to learn how your company can get a jump on cybercriminals with  programs that are automated, ongoing, and easy to use!