Posts

Keep Your Workplace From Going Viral

March 13, 2020/in Managing Your Business, Risk Management/by Glenn Greeley

With the recent virus outbreak many people have become concerned with sanitizing their workplace to prevent the spread of the virus and germs. As a cleaning professional with over 25-years of experience, I have some good insights on how to handle this process. We at Cleaning Group Inc. have developed a protocol for disinfection and preventing infection in offices, gyms, medical facilities, restaurants, and other venues where the public meets with your staff.

The first piece of advice I can give you is don’t panic. Panic prevents rational thought and hinders the ability to make informed decisions. The first thing to do is assess the actual exposure. This is determined by how many people visit your facility on a regular basis and the probability that those people may be infected. Medical offices that treat patients or perform procedures in-office are at higher risk of infection than an office that only has a few employees and rarely receive visitors. The next thing to consider is where germs can be transferred. The most common places transfer takes place are telephones, door handles, light switches and restrooms. Air quality is another consideration as germs may become airborne and spread through ventilation systems.

Whether your workplace has a high or low risk, you should consider consulting a professional to assess what needs to be done in your facility. A professional cleaner will determine exactly what your individual needs are. There are safeguards that everyone can take. Start by informing employees, coworkers, clients and visitors of the risk factor. If you are a medical office treating infected patients or if you have employees who have been exposed, you need to inform everyone who enters your facility to take precautions. If you are hosting a meeting or conference, designate areas where visitors will be and properly clean and disinfect those areas before and after the meeting. Put hand sanitizing stations at entrances and lobby areas. Most people will use it if it is available. I recommend a touch free dispenser. When several people touch a soap dispenser before actually using the soap, they are leaving germs on the dispenser. Designate a phone that your visitors may use and place disinfecting wipes next to it with a sign asking people to wipe the phone before and after using it. Any keypads or touch screens that are heavily used should be treated the same way.

Signs should be placed in all restrooms asking everyone to please wash their hands. Touch free soap and towel dispensers are a great idea. Touch free faucets are beneficial. Electric hand dryers are better than paper towels. The restroom fixtures should be disinfected at a frequency that coincides with their use. A cleaning professional will be able to determine the proper frequency. Using the proper chemicals is key. For example, bleach evaporates much quicker than most other water-based disinfectants. In order for a disinfectant to work properly it must remain on the surface for several minutes. All surfaces should be wiped with a disinfectant daily.

Treating the air can be the trickiest. I recommend changing filters weekly using a high-quality filter that traps the most amount of allergens. Hepa filters work best. Having ducts professionally cleaned will help prevent germs from collecting in the ventilation system. Disinfectant fogging is the best way to treat the air and kill airborne virus. This process must be done by a professional. The fogger atomizes the disinfectant and sprays it into the air. This will treat areas that are hard to reach and may normally get overlooked.

Lunchrooms and kitchens are another area where disinfecting is important. Utensils and cups should be washed, dried and put away in a cabinet. Everyone should clean cups and utensils before and after each use. Water cooler handles should be disinfected as well. Make sure you replace kitchen sponges frequently and use an antibacterial dish soap. Wipe counters with disinfectant before and after each use also.

The best defense against germ and virus transfer is a good plan. Work with a cleaning professional and consult your local health department to assess risk factors and determine the level of reported infections in your area. These and other tips are available in more detail in our guidelines for disinfection. I realize that some of these things may seem extreme or expensive. Most business owners are reluctant to increase the cleaning budget. I can assure you that the money is well spent. Keeping your customers, clients and employees healthy is as equally healthy for your bottom line.

About the Author

Glenn Greeley is founder of CGI Cleaning Group Inc. headquartered on Long Island. For more information visit www.cleaninggroupinc.com, call 631-669-6033, or email [email protected] for a free disinfecting guideline.

What your employees can do to reduce cybersecurity risk

February 28, 2020/in Managing Your People, Risk Management/by StrategyDriven

No longer just the responsibility of the IT department, cybersecurity is something that all employees have a vital role in. From making smarter decisions in the workplace to understanding how to spot common attacks, employees can do much to combat cybercrime in all of its forms. Here we take a look at the things that your employees can do to help keep your business secure.

Install regular software updates

It is unfortunately the case that many employees leave their computer turned on at all times – even when they’re out of the office. The convenience of having all windows and browsers tabs open when they return to work is offset by one a major cybersecurity weakness – computers with out-of-date operating systems and applications.

When an employee does not regularly turn off a computer it can leave the system without critical updates that are only installed when it is shut down. These updates fix vulnerabilities and weaknesses that could be exploited by cybercriminals. This is why it is vital that employees shut down their computers regularly.

Understand the dangers of phishing attacks

Phishing is still a major problem. We have all seen a phishing email; sent from a fake account and designed to look like a legitimate sender. The email will attempt to trick you into clicking a link and being sent to a duplicate version of a genuine site, with the exception that when you enter your login details, these will be harvested by criminals.

You might think you know how to spot a phishing scam – but phishing is becoming more sophisticated in 2020. A rise in deepfake voice phishing could see employees tricked into sending money to scammers or revealing sensitive information after getting voice messages and calls that sound like they are from senior executives.

It is important to understand these risks in order to be able to combat them.

Broaden their cybersecurity awareness

It is important for your employees to stay up to date with the latest tactics and techniques being used by cybercriminals. Providing employees with regularly updated training can be hugely valuable in boosting their knowledge and understanding. Employees with good cybersecurity skills and knowledge make a valuable line of defence against cybercrime.

One way that you can assess the cyber maturity of your employees is by engaging a cyber security company to carry out a pentest of the organisation. For example, this could take the form of a simulated phishing attack to see if any of your employees give out their log-in credentials.

Work closely with the IT department

It is important that employees should avoid any instances of “shadow IT”. Shadow IT is the term for any application or software that is installed on an employee’s computer without the knowledge and consent of the IT team.

Going through the process of having a piece of software signed off and approved can be frustrating and time consuming, but failing to do so can lead an employee to download software containing a vulnerability which can be exploited by hackers. Or which isn’t updated in the future by the IT team when known issues are identified in the software.

Be willing to invest in enhanced security tools like privileged access management, so system users are provided with different levels of access. This ensures greater control and, therefore, security.

Set strong passwords

Experts disagree as to whether employees should change their passwords on a regular basis. On one hand, changing passwords can be an important way to limit the risk of stolen passwords being used to access accounts. But on the other hand, employees being forced to remember too many different passwords will often result in them instead using unsafe workarounds.

It can be agreed, however, that the use of weak and commonly-used passwords is to be avoided. According to cybersecurity specialists, businesses can prevent staff from setting common passwords by enforcing rules and complexity such as the use of special characters.

Follow good cybersecurity practice away from the office

It is important if an employee works from home or remotely, that they should follow good cybersecurity practice when they do so. Any time that an employee accesses company data they should do so in an environment that is as secure as the environment in their workplace. Their remote computer should have cybersecurity measures just as powerful as those in the office – otherwise they are making themselves an easy target. For example, using public Wi-Fi is a major security concern.

Backup data regularly

Ransomware is still a problem, and losing access to business-critical data can be a major problem for any company. That is why it is vital that employees should use their company’s corporate network where possible as this is likely to be backed up regularly by the IT team. However, if staff do store data locally then they need to back up their data on a regular basis – ensuring that it is saved somewhere that would not be compromised in the event of a criminal attack.

Final thoughts

It is important that employees understand cybersecurity best practice so that they can act in accordance with it. Informed staff can be a powerful line of defense against cybercriminals.

Across The Memory Board – How To Educate Our Employees On The Best IT Practices

January 30, 2020/in Risk Management, Talent Management/by StrategyDriven

Cybersecurity is one of those overriding concerns in modern business. As there are more data breaches making headlines affecting a wide variety of companies, it seems that nobody is exempt from cyber terrorism or crime relating to technology. This means it’s crucial for you to look at your vulnerabilities. While you can set up various types of systems to protect your company, one of the most vulnerable areas of your business isn’t a technical one, it is a human one. Your employees are prone to human error. And we’ve got to make sure that we train our employees to understand the best practices of IT. What sort of tactics and practices can help you in this situation?

Investing In Employee Training

From a technical perspective, we can outsource components to a network services company or IT specialist, so they have the responsibility, but when we look at our in house components, it’s crucial for employees to grasp cybersecurity as a maintenance issue rather than something that they learn once in a blue moon. We’ve got to remember that cyber terrorism is a constantly evolving entity, which means that we’ve got to upregulate our systems and our approach to protecting the company. While we can invest in components like software patches and outsourcing technical duties to another company, we still have to invest in the people that we see each and every day. We have got to commit to a wide variety of tactics, so our teams know what is out there and what they can do to combat it. Partly we have to invest in training, but we’ve also got to change our mindset. It’s so easy to blame the employee that opens the phishing scam attachment rather than addressing the mentality of the employees in general. This is where training becomes essential.

Working On The Best Practices

It’s so easy for us to say that password security is an essential component because everybody knows to an extent this can protect most of us from phishing scams or cyber-attacks. But getting your team to do this is an entirely different ballpark. Working on the best practices with something like changing passwords is partly to do with your employees, knowing the traits of a strong password, but also understanding the outcome of not following these processes. On a basic level, a password needs to be long with multiple characters, and it’s changed on a regular basis. But remember that in order to ensure compliance from your workers, building a reminder to change passwords through regular feedback as well as password management tools can help your employees to keep on top of these issues.

Focus On Cybersecurity Awareness

The people in the IT department may know the sorts of data breaches out there but you can’t expect your employees to follow the trends in the news. You may know which way the signs are going, but it can still prove challenging to understand how regularly these things occur. There are numerous resources that you can take advantage of that provide detailed information on the latest cybersecurity breaches, but you also need to remember that this message needs to be loud and clear. Distributing this information through your team is about consistency. If you continue to share the information on a regular basis, along with the repercussions, this puts the message across. At the same time, you don’t want to bombard your employees with too much information that they don’t bother reading it.

Integrate Cybersecurity With New Employees

The onboarding process is the perfect opportunity to introduce your employees to the best practices. If you incorporate it into your training process from day one, you are able to go over the rules but also explain the importance of these best practices. Again, it’s about reiterating how much of a threat data breaches are. You need to create clear cybersecurity guidelines through important regulatory documents but also initiate a complaints procedure should a breach occur. When your employees hear about a potential breach, you must create an environment where employees share information rather than trying to cover up their mistakes.

Implement It From The Top Down

From the perspective of the executives, communicating the need for regular training in terms of cybersecurity practices is about highlighting its effect on the bottom line. Yes, there is no shortage of news relating to data breaches, but you’ve still got to make a case for it when money is tight. Looking for an executive buy-in is about making your case clear with regards to the costs but also going in with a comprehensive plan as to how the training would be undertaken. It’s also crucial to point out the costs of a data breach. Based on experience, once you highlight how more expensive a data breach is in comparison to training and onboarding practices, it’s likely executives will opt for the latter.

Implementing Regular Drills

We test the fire alarm on a regular basis, so why don’t we incorporate data breaches? When we train employees on a new piece of software, there comes a time where we have to let them fly by themselves. Allowing them to experiment in an environment with their new skills gives you a clearer picture of the potential problems that can occur and if your employees are ready to deal with them. Testing your business with a live-fire simulation can be a massive undertaking, but you can do it through smaller simulations like spot-checking your employees to see if they know the principles of combating a phishing scam email.

As technology is such a major investment and the fact that we rely on it to do 95% of our tasks, we need to make sure that our employees know how to use it properly. Many organizations invest in sophisticated equipment but don’t have the means to operate it. When our employees need to understand how to use the equipment, we can guide them, but we’ve also got to give them knowledge of the best practices underneath. Cybersecurity is such an important issue that if we communicate it so much, our employees can switch off. But by following a few of these processes, you can start to educate everybody across the board.

10 Important Cybersecurity Tips

January 28, 2020/in Risk Management/by StrategyDriven

Cybersecurity, information technology security or computer security is the process of the protection of computer systems, programs, and networks from digital attacks or the theft or from the damage of the hardware, software, electronic data or misdirection or disruption of the services they provide.

The cyber attackers usually aim at changing, accessing, or destroying sensitive and personal information. They also tend to extort money from the user or even interrupt the normal business process. In today’s world, cyber attackers are becoming more and more innovative, and cybersecurity is very challenging as it is more vulnerable now these days as businesses now opting for cloud services to reduce the risk of cyber attackers. If you own a small business or are looking for some tips and tricks to avoid getting hacked, then you are in the right place!

Why is Cybersecurity Important?

In today’s connected world, you don’t have to have big secrets of having cybersecurity, and you can have a small business running and need cybersecurity. You may need cybersecurity just to protect your family photos at an individual level. Everyone needs cyber-defense programs. Cyber attackers also aim for identity theft; extortion attempts to access to bank account details. Power plants, hospitals, and even financial service companies rely on cyber-defense programs.

Our society keeps on functioning with the help of these cyber-defense programs. Everyones have been benefiting by being secured. Talos has a team of 250 researchers who investigate any new emerging cyber-attack strategies or new threats. They come up with new vulnerabilities and also educate every individual on the importance of having cyber-defense programs. They strengthen open source tools and makes it all a lot safer for everyone.

Types of Cybersecurity Threats

Following are the main types of cybersecurity threats that everyone should be aware of:

Phishing

This is where the cyber attackers send fake and fraud emails to people that have the same format and resemble the emails from reputable sources. They try to steal login information and sensitive data like credit card details. This is the most common type of attack which anyone could face. You can protect yourself from this type of cyber attack by filtering malicious emails using a technology solution.

Malware

This is also software designed by cyber-attackers to gain unauthorized access and can even cause damage to a computer system.

Social engineering

This is a threat that can be combined with any of the threats stated above and can take over your system by clicking on links, downloading or trusting a malicious source. This is a tactic used by adversaries. Social engineering can reveal sensitive information and gain access to your confidential data. It can also solicit a monetary payment.

Important Cybersecurity Tips

You are always a target for hackers

The very first tip is never to think it won’t happen to you. Everyone is at risk by cyber-attackers. Attacks can be as little as stealing your family photos or as big as hacking bank accounts. Everyone is an attractive target. Be more active as cyber-attackers don’t discriminate between any users.

Keep software up to date

Always update your software as old software can make you vulnerable to cyber-attackers. Install every latest update for your operating system. Turn on the automatic updates so your system can install any new fixes by itself. Keep browsers like Flash and java up to date. Use web browsers like firefox and chrome as they receive automatic and frequent security updates.

Beware of suspicious emails and phone calls – Avoid Phishing scams

These phishing scams are a constant threat as receiving, and opening emails is a daily chore for everyone. Cyber-attackers trick you into divulging information as personal as login id and password or even banking information. These scams can be carried out by text or through social media sites but are usually sent by email. Use cyber-defense programs to identify any suspicious-looking email and be aware of any phone call asking for personal details like banking details

Good password management

You have too many passwords to manage and end up taking shortcuts and using the same password for every website, and that makes you prone to cyber-attackers. There are many programs available that can help you with managing strong passwords and reminding you to change the time by time. For a password 20 or characters are recommended. Use a mix of different characters like uppercase, lower case, and numbers. Don’t use the same password for multiple websites. Update your password every 90 days and don’t share your password.

Think and Click

Don’t visit untrusted websites and download software or links from random sources as they contain threats like Malware which can silently compromise your system. Any emails with links attached from unknown sources or suspicious should not be opened.

Never leave devices unattended

Lock your screen with the password of your computer systems and your phone. But with technical security, physical security is just as important. Don’t ever leave your phone, tablet or computer unattended for a long period. Lock it up in a bag pack or anywhere else so no one can use it. If you have any sensitive information in external hardware or a flash driver, keep it locked in a backpack or anywhere else safe as well. For desktop computer users, always shut-down the system when you are not using it and keep the screen locked.

Protect sensitive data

Always handle sensitive data very carefully. Be aware of any data that is sensitive if you come in contact with it. Keep all your sensitive data that includes your credit card information, health information, and if you are a student, any student record off of your laptop, mobile devices or workstation in general. Remove any sensitive date files or information away from your system when you don’t need it. Always use encryption whenever you are storing or transmitting any sensitive or important data.

Use cell phone devices safely

Always lock your phone with a password and never leave it unattended in public for a long time. Never install apps that sources that you don’t trust. Don’t click on attachments or links from texts or emails that look suspicious. Keep your operating system up to date. Backup all your important data somewhere. Use find my iPhone for apple and android device manager tools to help prevent any theft or loss. Avoid storing or transmitting any personal and sensitive information on the device.

Install anti-virus protection

Install an anti-virus program from a trusted and a known source and keep engines, software and virus definitions up to date, so the anti-virus program remains effective.

Back up your data

Always backup all your personal and sensitive data as you may never know what happens. Back up very regularly, so getting your data back is guaranteed. If any security incident happens, the only way to repair is to erase and re-install the system so all your data will be erased.

WRAPPING UP WITH MORE TIPS

Use a firewall.
Use public wireless hot-spots very wisely and carefully.
Be conscientious of what you plug into your computer , especially with flash drives and smartphones as they can also contain malware.
Be careful of what you share on social networking sites as they may provoke cyber-attackers.
Monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity.
Bank or shop online only on trusted devices and networks and as soon as you have completed your transactions, logout.

Who Benefits Most From Workplace Safety Regulations?

January 10, 2020/in Risk Management/by StrategyDriven

There were nearly 3 million workplace injuries and illnesses reported in 2018. Workplace safety has never been more important.

But who benefits most from workplace safety regulations? Although they’re implemented to keep employees safe, they offer major benefits for employers too.

But are they as comprehensive enough?

Keep reading to learn more about which workplace safety regulations matter most and who they protect.

How Workplace Safety Regulations Benefit Employers

Safety regulations are created by government agencies to ensure that organizations meet minimum safety requirements to reduce risk on the job. By creating workplace safety regulations, employers protect themselves from penalties for noncompliance.

Although you should go above and beyond when it comes to protecting your staff, you’re only required to meet the minimum standards.

These safety regulations also provide guidelines for creating your own policies and best practices. You can also reference these regulations to identify holes in your current plan.

It’s important to keep in mind that some safety issues, such as worker fatigue, aren’t often addressed in workplace regulations. There’s no concrete way to measure employee fatigue, which can put that employee, other staff members, and your business at risk.

All you can do to prevent worker fatigue is to educate your staff on managing risk fatigue and offer time off, breaks, and other support and resources.

It’s your legal obligation to create a safe, healthy work environment for employees. Failing to do could result in major financial and legal trouble.

How Workplace Safety Regulations Benefit Staff Members

Workplace safety regulations protect employers from incurring penalties and fines. For employees, the benefits are more personal.

Having safety regulations in place means you’re receiving at least a minimum level of protection against workplace hazards and dangers. Regulations ensure that your health and wellbeing are valued. You can also fall back on these regulations if your employer is treating you unfairly or you’re working under unauthorized conditions.

Employees shouldn’t rely too heavily on the regulations that are put in place. Just because an organization is compliant with the standards doesn’t mean there are zero risks. Avoid getting complacent in your role.

This could lead to a serious accident or injury. If you’ve already incurred a work-related injury, the doctors at https://workerscompdoctor.com/ can help evaluate your condition and explain your rights.

Holes in the Plan

One of the biggest problems with workplace safety regulations is that they’re sometimes unrealistic and only cover the basic needs of staff. Most people agree that the scenarios outlined in the regulations don’t accurately depict day-to-day working conditions. Some of the information and standards may not even apply to your position.

Most regulations leave a lot to be desired. Just because an organization is compliant, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe.

Some people argue that the answer to who benefits most from workplace safety regulations is the government agencies who hand them down. The regulations are often vague and created in a more generalized manner, leaving gaps in the specific needs of both employees and employers.

The Answer to Who Benefits Most from Workplace Safety Regulations Might Not Be Who You Think

You might think that the answer to who benefits most from workplace safety regulations is the employees. While these guidelines do protect their basic safety, they don’t address everything.

Companies should use these workplace regulations as guidelines for creating more comprehensive and industry-specific safety practices. Workplace safety is a major concern for both leaders and workers and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Want more tips on boosting your job performance? Check out our blog for tips, videos, and advice on succeeding in business.