Back in 2014, Code Spaces was murdered. The company offered developers source code repositories and project management services, but they didn’t have solid control over sensitive information — including their backups. One cyberattack later, and Code Spaces was out of business. Their killer had used some standard techniques, but the most effective was getting an unwitting Code Space employee to help — likely via a phishing attack.
When it comes to cybercrime that targets businesses, employees are the largest risks. Sure, your IT guys and gals are trained to recognize phishing attempts, funky websites, and other things that just don’t seem right. But can you say the same thing about the people in reception, or the folks over in sales?
Sure, those employees might know that clicking on links or opening attachments in strange emails can cause issues. But things have become pretty sophisticated; cybercriminals can make it look like someone in your office is sending the email, even if the content looks funny. It only takes a click to compromise the system. It also only takes a click to Google a funny-looking link or ask IT about a weird download you don’t recognize.
Just as you can’t trust people to be email-savvy, you also can’t trust them to come up with good passwords. It may sound so 2002, but plenty of people still use birthdays, pet names, or even “password” as their passcodes — or they meet the bare-minimum standards for required passcode complexity. Randomly generated passcodes are always better, and requiring multiple levels of authentication for secure data access is a must-do.
Remember, that’s just for the office. Once employees start working outside of your network, even more issues crop up. It’s not always possible to keep them from working from home, or from a coffee shop on the road. But it is possible to invest in security tools, like email encryption, that keep data more secure if they have to work outside your network. And if people are working remotely, remind them that walking away from the computer is a no-no. Anybody could lean over and see what they’re working on, download malware or spyware, or even swipe the entire device and walk out — all of which are cybersecurity disasters.
Finally, you need to consider the possibility of a deliberate security compromise. Whether they’re setting themselves up for a future job or setting you up for a vengeful fall, this common occurrence is hard to prevent. It’s possible that Code Space’s demise was the result of malice, so let it be a warning to you as well! Whenever an employee leaves the company for any reason, remove their accounts and access to your data. And make it clear to employees that this behavior is considered stealing, or worse, and will be treated as such in criminal and civil court.
You have your work cut out for you, huh? Fortunately, it’s still possible to run a secure-enough company in today’s world. Keep an eye on your data and on your employees. And foster an open communication that allows you to spot potential — or developing — compromises as soon as possible.
Ian Enticott | Director of Technology for Accountants
