You lock your front door when you leave the house, right? Of course you do.
But if someone left a window open, does it really matter?
Now think about your business.
You’ve got cybersecurity in place—strong passwords, firewalls, software updates. But if your employees are leaving “windows” open, all that security goes to waste.
This isn’t about blame—it’s about awareness. Your employees might be your biggest security risk, and they probably don’t even realize it.
The Risks You Might Not See
With more people working remotely, 4 out of 5 employees use their personal phones, tablets, or laptops for work. It’s convenient. But those personal devices likely don’t have the same security as your office systems.
Weak passwords. Outdated software. Public Wi-Fi. All of these are an open invitation for hackers.
And it gets worse…
- 40% of employees admit to downloading customer data onto their own devices. That means sensitive business info is sitting unprotected on personal laptops and phones.
- 65% of employees admit they only follow cybersecurity rules “sometimes” or never. That includes forwarding work emails to personal accounts, using phones as Wi-Fi hotspots, or ignoring data security rules when using AI tools.
- Nearly half of employees reuse passwords across different work accounts. Even worse? Over a third use the same passwords for work and personal accounts.
Now imagine a hacker gets into your employee’s personal email or social media. If they’re using the same password for your business systems, you’ve got a major problem.
How to Fix It
The solution isn’t complicated: Education.
Most employees don’t break the rules on purpose—they just don’t realize the risks. Make cybersecurity simple, clear, and easy to follow. A few quick wins:
- Use a password manager to generate strong, unique passwords.
- Only use approved devices to access work systems.
- Never forward work emails to personal accounts.
And don’t just set rules—reinforce them. Regular training keeps security top of mind. And when someone flags a phishing email or follows best practices, recognize it. Good habits spread when people see them in action.
Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT problem. It’s a team effort. Give your employees the right tools and training, and they’ll become your first line of defense instead of your weakest link.