Unconventional Security Awareness Tips
A ton of information is available on how to stay cyber-safe. All the advice means well, but simply put, it all sounds the same after a while. Hover over links, verify who sent you the email, and don’t send $2k worth of gift cards to a recently departed relative you didn’t know existed.
While all of this is good advice, these are the more unconventional principles we believe can help anyone become more security savvy and perhaps a more successful individual overall.
Be Unpredictable
How many times have you seen a movie or video game where you have to sneak past a security patrol and managed it without breaking a sweat because the guards’ movements are entirely predictable?
Criminals need their targets to be predictable. Knowing how the victim will respond gives criminals the upper hand.
The best way to combat this is to be completely random. Reply to emails at odd hours. Sometimes answer your phone within three rings, and other times just let it go to voicemail to make a point.
Be Rude
One of the biggest traits criminals seek to leverage is our natural tendency to be polite and helpful.
If you see someone struggling to open the door because they are holding several cups of coffee, we will hold the door for them. If someone looks like they belong in the office, we will leave them be, even if they aren’t wearing a badge.
The best defense in these situations is to be rude. If someone you don’t recognize walks up to the door with two coffee cups, say you need to see ID before you can let them in. Who cares if they get annoyed?
Design Your Secure World
One reason we all fall into insecure habits is that security is often seen as a hurdle.
Think about what stops you or your colleagues from practicing good security, and design your world around it. You’ll be surprised how far a little peer pressure will take you.
If everyone starts locking their machine when walking away from it, all of a sudden, the new person will also start doing it – regardless of whether they fully understand why. After a while, that becomes part of your company culture.
Become an Informant
If you receive a strange email, forward it to your cybersecurity team. An unexpected SMS, pass that on to them. Found a USB on your desk, give it to security. They are the ones whose job it is to determine if something is truly bad or not.
What’s the worst that can happen? The security team will return your email or USB and say it wasn’t malicious but will thank you for your continued vigilance… and who doesn’t like to be thanked?
Looking for my cybersecurity tips? Check out Yeo & Yeo Technology’s blog.
Information used in this article was provided by our partners at KnowBe4.