Remote work is here — whether we like it or not — thanks to the novel coronavirus pandemic faced globally. Many companies are now implementing voluntary or mandatory work-from-home policies, which is an unusual challenge for first-time remote workers.
When it was first created, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability [HIPAA] Act was enacted in order to safeguard a patient’s protected health information [PHI]. Over the years, the policy has evolved so that both covered entities and business associates are beholden to the rules and regulations mandated via HIPAA. However, even the businesses outside of that specific purview should be aware of HIPAA’s rules and act in accordance, particularly since all employers will possess at least some employee PHI.
Violations of HIPAA can result in serious legal ramifications to both your business and any employees who are found guilty of such breaches. Therefore, it’s essential that your HR team is trained in HIPAA compliance procedures and protocols, especially if you’re a covered entity or business associate. Below, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about HIPAA and HIPAA training for HR professionals.
When it comes to cybersecurity risk, it’s easy to overlook one of the primary targets that hackers are starting to go after: your own employees. More specifically, cyber criminals are now going after what’s known as companies’ “Shadow IT” ecosystem, hacking into software and apps employees use without the approval and/or knowledge of your IT department.
According to Gartner, by 2020 approximately one-third of successful enterprise cyber-attacks will be on data and systems located in shadow IT resources. And that’s not to mention the regulatory compliance risks that organizations run by having sensitive data potentially being handled, transferred, and passed around on apps that may or may not have the proper security measures.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the concept of Information Technology (IT) has shifted significantly. To the average person, IT no longer means possessing the capability to simply search the web using keywords, neither does it focus only on clunky desktop computers. With technology’s evolution, IT has expanded to include numerous subsets — from programming to engineering to security to analytics and beyond.
The “information” aspect includes far more than obtaining sensitive data or protecting it. Systems now possess the capabilities for complex queries, extrapolating data, predicting future events, and even advising officials. This access and wealth of knowledge inevitably led to the expansion of the IT security field. Are you familiar with the basics of cybersecurity? Read on to learn about the different types of IT security and how you can protect your business.
Keeping hackers, cybercriminals, and malicious actors out of your critical systems is a constant battle. But just like any king might defend his castle, you need some kind of overall plan to seal off all the entry points that hackers might look to exploit. Which is exactly why having an Information Technology (IT) security framework is so important.
Data breaches are becoming more and more prevalent. Organizations are trying to keep up as best they can with the influx in breaches, but the average time it takes for them to identify one is 191 days. With the global average cost of a single data breach hitting a staggering $3.86 million this year (a 6.4% increase from last year), mitigating cybersecurity risks is becoming more of a priority every day.
There are many things that put your network at risk. The primary thing people tend to think about is “The Bad Guys.” Hackers. Corporate espionage. Saboteurs. There is also the concern of physical risks like fire, flooding, and earthquake. You may be surprised to learn that the number one risk to your network, by a lot, is your own employees.
Having a solid cybersecurity defense plan is arguably just as important as having a robust offense. Case in point, a recent Experian report found that nearly two-thirds (66%) of the data protection and privacy training professionals that were surveyed labeled their employees as the weakest link when attempting to safeguard their organization from cyber threats. Even though tedious cybersecurity tasks are becoming automated, it’s still best to provide online security awareness training for employees to prevent future issues for your company’s security. Being prepared when that time comes is paramount to the continued success of your organization and requires that an ironclad training program be conceptualized and implemented before threats become breaches. With this in mind, let’s review the importance of cybersecurity awareness training and how you can build an organization that is compliant and focused on defending against cyber threats.
Cybersecurity in today’s world is much more than just enabling your firewall or downloading the latest malware patch. The amount (and complexity) of systems, software, and technologies that companies of all stripes now use makes it imperative that all employees, top-to-bottom, are aware of the cybersecurity risks of all their day-to-day activities.
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