More Education, More Security
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But is that really the best way to go about business? Many of the issues
companies face today are due to the ignorance of employees. If they
understand the perils of opening e-mail attachments from an unreliable source,
know what phishing is and how to spot it and realize that surfing to
particular Websites can cause real dangers, the total amount of malware
affecting the Web might be reduced.
Malicious hackers and malware authors mostly engage in their activity to make
money. By exploiting employees, it gives them a chance to make some extra
cash. And some hackers have made a lucrative career out of doing just
that.
But they wouldn't have a business if more people were educated. Employees would be able to recognize issues before they arise. They would know what it would mean to click on a suspect link, and they would be better equipped to handle any outbreaks that would occur. They wouldn't be click-happy users with utter disregard for what the impact could be on company computers. Right now, they don't know and they're fine with that.
And so are companies. That's a shame. An educated work force could improve the entire state of the Web. Once malicious hackers or malware authors realize that more companies have educated employees and they now know what to look out for, the number of instances of malware would undoubtedly be reduced. If there are fewer opportunities to profit off ignorant users, there will be less malware. It's simple logic.
But most (not all!) organizations don't see it that way. They reason that spending time and money on educating employees on basic Internet and e-mail use is a waste of time. It's a short-term view. And it's one that keeps bringing issues into the network.
In the end, any ounce of logic probably won't change that. The security software business is growing at a rapid rate. More security firms than ever are releasing products that will protect the enterprise against malware. And companies are focusing more on making their way out of the economic recession, rather than worry about the long-term security of the network.
It's understandable. But there's always that chance that it could come back to bite the business world.
But they wouldn't have a business if more people were educated. Employees would be able to recognize issues before they arise. They would know what it would mean to click on a suspect link, and they would be better equipped to handle any outbreaks that would occur. They wouldn't be click-happy users with utter disregard for what the impact could be on company computers. Right now, they don't know and they're fine with that.
And so are companies. That's a shame. An educated work force could improve the entire state of the Web. Once malicious hackers or malware authors realize that more companies have educated employees and they now know what to look out for, the number of instances of malware would undoubtedly be reduced. If there are fewer opportunities to profit off ignorant users, there will be less malware. It's simple logic.
But most (not all!) organizations don't see it that way. They reason that spending time and money on educating employees on basic Internet and e-mail use is a waste of time. It's a short-term view. And it's one that keeps bringing issues into the network.
In the end, any ounce of logic probably won't change that. The security software business is growing at a rapid rate. More security firms than ever are releasing products that will protect the enterprise against malware. And companies are focusing more on making their way out of the economic recession, rather than worry about the long-term security of the network.
It's understandable. But there's always that chance that it could come back to bite the business world.
