Quick Guide: Cybersecurity for Execs

Executives today take on a lot. They spearhead their organization and often lead their industry on a massive scale. Unfortunately, this makes them primary targets for cybercriminals. Essentially, if a cybercriminal can get you, as an executive, to fall prey to their scam then they have a pretty good chance at also completing attacks on all the other levels of your organization.  

This is why it is especially important for executives to have a grasp on threat prevention.  One weak link at the top puts the whole organization at risk. In most cases, employees and shareholders are reliant on those in leadership positions to be responsible for the cybersecurity practiced by the organization. Not only for policies but for the back-end preventative measures taken on all company devices and networks. IT is not alone in the responsibility of protecting the company; executives need to get involved. If a cyber-attack or data leak were to occur, the financial, legal, and reputational consequences would fall on the shoulders of c-suite leaders, board members, and executives. So, how can you, as a leader, set the tone for the company in regard to online safety? 

Digital Hygiene 

• Practice strong digital hygiene through strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, & regular software updates 

• Go a step further by implementing these hygiene rules for employees as well. This could look like mandatory password updates and a companywide multi-factor authentication service. 

Phishing, Scams, & Social Engineering  

• Be wary of phishing email and texts, online scams, and social engineering. Not just for yourself but for your organization. Educate yourself and employees on what to look for when online and how to report it when those phishing messages come in. 

• You can even send out fake phishing emails to see which employees will fall for this type of scam. From there, those employees can go through further training on cyber scams.  

Work vs. Personal 

• Both you and your employees should separate work vs personal messages, especially on company devices. Using one email account for work and personal messages doubles your chances of getting risky emails and falling for their scams. 

• This is also about making sure your devices are safe by not leaving them in public places and knowing that there is a safe and secure place for them in your home.  

• This aspect of cybersecurity can also apply to posting safely on social media. Make sure you aren’t posting information that is too personal online or information that could put your organization at risk.  

Travel  

• When traveling, make it regular practice to use VPNs while on public Wi-Fi & have a safe place for your devices to be stored while traveling and staying in hotels. 

• In general, try to avoid using Wi-Fi at the airport or in hotel common areas. 

Cybersecurity Culture 

• Champion cybersecurity culture by being vocal about safe practices and encouraging employees to take responsibility for their own devices and safety. 

• Promote an open culture where employees can ask questions and report suspicious activity without repercussions.  

Involving a Third-Party 

• Consider involving a third party in your cybersecurity practices. These groups (like cyberTAP) can come in and assess where your organization is at risk and what you can do to get a handle on it. 

• These groups can perform risk assessments, penetration testing, and even employee education to make sure your cyber posture is up to par. If you are interested in using our services to help your organization, let’s start a conversation! 

Just try to remember, as a leader, you set the standard. Being a champion of cybersecurity could save you and your company not only money, but also the time, energy, and reputation that a cyberattack could easily destroy.