Dan’s Desk: A Series of Security Memos – Carelessness

Security Memo 5: Carelessness

**This is the last memo in a series, straight from Dan's desk, helping you understand more about easy security steps for your work and personal use. Read the fourth memo in this series.**

An overwhelming 80% of corporate security professionals and IT administrators indicated in a recent survey that "end user carelessness" constituted the biggest security threat to their organizations, surpassing the ever-present peril posed by malware or organized hacker attacks.

Physical security is the first step in creating a secure environment. Think about your home. The first thing you think about when securing your home is locking your doors, making sure that someone can’t walk in and take your possessions. The same concept applies in digital security.

Physical Security Considerations in the office

These considerations apply to both an office environment and home offices!

• How safe are your business premises?
• Can anyone walk in and take something?
• Can anyone walk in and obtain confidential information?
• Do you keep track of who has entered your premises?

Physical Security Considerations outside of the office

These considerations apply to when you are visiting a customer/vendor/other or when you’re just out and about.

• Do you ensure that your computer or other electronic devices are not left alone in your vehicle to prevent theft?
• Do you ensure that your computer or other electronic devices are not left alone in public locations?

Other Physical Security Considerations

• Do you (software) lock your computer or phone when not in use so someone can’t use it without your knowledge? (This can be done by pressing “L + the windows key” on Microsoft computers, and enabling the “command + control + Q” hot-keys.)
• Do you ensure that others are not watching you when entering your computer password or phone pin?
• Do you avoid using untrusted portable storage devices?

It is important to remember that the easiest way for someone to gain unauthorized access to your information is by leaving the front door wide open. Talk to your IT or security department regarding the questions posed above in order to gain better clarity about how you can help protect your information.

Thanks again for tuning in to learn how to keep your network, and people, safe from these cyber threats.

 

Dan Boehm
Chief Information Officer

 

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