Ask yourself: How often do you think about cybersecurity? Do you think about online risks every time you open your web browser? Or are you more likely to ignore the topic until your computer starts acting funny?

Awareness can be one of the greatest cybersecurity challenges for private businesses. If you or your staff are lacking education surround cyber threats, you could be opening your organization to a world of hurt.

Sure, there are dozens or even hundreds of cybersecurity tools and services out there, but that won't mean much if your employees don't adopt a cybersecurity state of mind. Below are few reasons why cyber awareness is such a big deal and how you can improve it in your office.

The More You Know

It's been well established that employee negligence is the leading cause of data breach. This is not to say that workers are maliciously leaking information in order to harm your company (although this does happen from time to time), but rather that employees lack the education and skill they need to combat cybercrime.

If you are unsure about the security chops within your own organization, then you might want to share a short questionnaire to assess everyone's levels of awareness. Pew Research offers a knowledge quiz covering several general security tips for online users.

Then again, you could also make your own proficiency survey. Here are a handful of questions you might consider asking:

• Do you know the difference between a robust and weak password? Do you use a unique passphrase on all your accounts? How do you manage all your passwords?
• Is it safe to use free public Wi-Fi? What kinds of activities are safe and which should be avoided?
• How often do you update your software? Do you use or disable automatic updates?
• What do you think is the safest way to share a file? Do you use any specific platforms to share sensitive information?

Once you have your answers, you can share the findings during your next cybersecurity training session. Be sure to address things your staff is doing well, as well as opportunities for improvement . Depending on their answers you can prescribe:

• An offline password manager for everyone to use.
• Instructions for how to log in and use the company virtual private network (VPN).
• Have every team member turn on automatic updates.
• A collaboration platform or encrypted cloud storage solution.

The reason for implementing these safeguards in the forefront is that it collectively instills a cybersecurity state of mind. You're not just taking care of business in the background. You are making a (internally) public decision to make cyber resilience a priority!

In that same vein, it is wise to invest a portion of your budget into cybersecurity insurance. It's an affordable safeguard against financial ruin caused by data breaches and online security threats.

At CyberPolicy, we are more than happy to help your find the insurer right for your small business. Get your free quote today!