How Can We Help Employees Care About Cybersecurity?
In today’s digital world, protecting your Vancouver law firm’s digital commodities should always be a top priority. The complexity and prevalence of cyberattacks are growing, targeting businesses in every industry. The use of proper cybersecurity solutions to protect against threats has increased in importance.
However, one of the main issues many law firms face is cybersecurity. Even the best resources and technology can fail to protect your firm if there is no established plan. You can have all the proper resources. But one human mistake can lead to a data breach that may be difficult to recover from.
Cybersecurity is about so much more than prevention – it is also about response and intelligence. Not only do you want to know when an actual cyberattack has occurred. But you will also want to know when a cyberattack has been attempted. If a cyberattack occurred, would you know if your data was breached? It is not enough to attempt to prevent a breach. But you will also need to have a plan that details how everyone will respond to the breach.
You can create a cybersecurity-conscious culture in your law firm. Leaving your employees feeling empowered and prepared because you have encouraged the adoption of cybersecurity practices that can protect your firm’s data from data breaches and other cyber attacks.
Set the Standards
Despite the integral role data plays in your law firm’s operation, cybersecurity is not always a priority of your employees. In a 2019 study from Palo Alto Networks and YouGov, over 56 percent of Canadians believed they were doing everything they could to prevent the loss of data. Unfortunately, this presents a wide gap for potential data loss.
One of the key issues is that many employees do not fully understand cybersecurity and the key aspects surrounding it. If employees do not understand the basics of cybersecurity, they may not understand how impactful each action can be and how the firm will be impacted. On the other hand, some employees fail to follow the standards, policies, and procedures that have been established because they feel the policies are too complex and too complicated to understand.
When you set the standards and encourage awareness within your law firm, your employees will have the ability to be the difference-makers in ensuring your firm’s data is secured.
Empower Your Employees
It is important to establish a workplace culture that talks about the importance of cybersecurity. We know that establishing this type of culture is not going to happen overnight. Your law firm will need to take a variety of approaches that will lead to the empowerment of your employees. One of the most important steps that need to be taken is the offering of training and educational courses.
If you are able to teach your employees about cybersecurity, they will gain a better understanding of the key problems and challenges other businesses face. When they are aware of the common challenges, they will know what they should avoid in the workplace. Employees will have a clearer understanding of cybersecurity when you make it easier for them to comprehend the information.
Discuss the challenges, current risks, and security methods in a manner they can understand. This will promote the cybersecurity-conscious culture you have been looking for. If you promote the workplace culture you want to have, your employees are more likely to get on board. Consider establishing an anonymous reporting system and encourage employees to discuss cybersecurity practices with others. You can also try designating advocates within the workplace who can help other employees and keep everyone motivated.
The Takeaway
It is important to have a workplace culture that embraces cybersecurity best practices that can improve your law firm. Better cybersecurity practices can lead to better outcomes. When you take the right steps, you may be surprised at the incredible transformation of your law firm.
The Canadian legal industry is facing significant challenges from attackers. How will you respond to the increasing threat of cyber crimes? Contact us. Learn more information on how we can help your Vancouver law firm establish policies and procedures that will encourage your employees to care about cybersecurity.
