Facebook hack highlights importance of cyber risk procedures for employees

Simon Colman, Executive Head: Digital Distribution at SHA

The recent data breach that saw hackers gain access to over 50 million Facebook users’ accounts, has once again highlighted the need for businesses to adequately manage their cyber security risks.

It particularly indicates the importance of having robust policies and procedures in place for employees.

This is according to Simon Colman, Executive Head: Digital Distribution at SHA, who says that employees need to understand the importance of basic online security measures such as smart password management. “A breach like this could have much wider implications for individuals and companies, since it is not uncommon for people to use the same password for their social media account as well as their work computers. Employers need to make employees aware of the fact that they have to minimise their risks, so that if one account is hacked, it does not impact the security of one’s other accounts.”

A survey conducted by SHA indicates that an estimated 42.5% of businesses do not have adequate cyber risk management procedures in place and that 30% of companies in the SME sector have already suffered a cyber-attack.

Colman says that businesses and individuals need to make drastic improvements to their privacy and password management. “It makes sense for businesses to get better at managing their own digital ecosystems and to treat passwords like gold, keeping them safe and forcing users to change them frequently. It’s also a good idea to prevent employees from using work email addresses to sign onto personal apps and websites”

Edited by Neo Sesinye
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