The best defense a logistics company can employ against cyber security threats is well-informed and well-trained employees. In fact, computers and technology can only be as good as the people who use them. Therefore, it is not enough to install firewalls and data encryption software.
Cyber Security Tips for Logistics Employees
Give employees common sense cyber security training and advice. Enable them by building their understanding.
Understand what cyber security threats are.
There are many different threats from an array of sources. The most prevalent type of cyber attack is some form of hacking. Some hackers want to hold the company to ransom. However, others just want to be destructive, infiltrate critical infrastructure, and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The threats will come in the guise of technical attacks that cyber security tools are designed to detect. Those are the challenges that internal IT experts must deal with. Most of us mortals just need to understand how unsolicited emails, offering special deals and competitions, for example, can be a cyber security threat trigger. We need to understand that when we get those emails – if it looks and feels too good to be true, it probably is – we must not do anything except report it. If spam messages are getting through, the IT wizards need to know about it, quick-smart.
Understand the measures the company has in place.
Without divulging and boring the team with every single detail, tell them what security measures the company has taken to safeguard the computer networks against cybersecurity threats.
Understand how to identify cyber security threats.
When training your staff, don’t rely on just giving them a self-study “one-pager”. Give them a presentation. In that presentation, once you’ve discussed the broader topic and measures in place, show the staff screenshots, replete with arrows and underlinings, of computer screens so that they can concretely see what happens once hackers or viruses are active. A picture paints a thousand words.
Understand what to do when a cyber security threat is detected.
Publish and promote network security protocols and procedures. Therefore, train your staff on who to tell, what to tell them, and how to tell them. They should rather report hunches and suspicions, even if they prove to be false. Develop a “reporting” culture to begin with. Consider appropriate incentives to encourage it, if necessary. As a result, over time, the staff will become more discerning.
Understand how to prevent cyber security threats.
The team needs to understand how the company can be vulnerable when they use computers, email, and the internet for personal purposes or in an unauthorized way. It only takes one click on an infected URL or replying to a spam email, to activate a virus. As a result, it is of paramount importance that the team completely understands that the downloading of any unauthorized software or even PDFs is expressly forbidden and the reasons why.
Cybersecurity breaches put our jobs at risk. Train your employees on their roles and responsibilities. In fact, it’s the job of all staff to protect their company’s and client’s assets, not just their colleagues in the IT department.
Additional Reading: Cybersecurity Gaps and Opportunities in the Logistics Industry
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