A cyber-physical attack is an example of a security breach in cyberspace that impacts the workplace’s actual physical environment. What makes this dangerous for your cybersecurity? A malicious user can take control, for example, of a train that can cause accidents. Machines in a factory may also malfunction, causing accidents involving employees. Such incidents may lead to lawsuits that any company would want to avoid.
To keep your company and your workforce safe from cyber-physical attacks at all times, here are some tips you can keep in mind:
Employee Awareness is Key
The first step to avoiding a cyber-physical attack is educating and empowering your employees. Making cybersecurity a top priority is easier when they know the risks and hazards to their employee well-being.
Create your company’s official cybersecurity training plan or campaign. Emphasize that no one is safe from an attack, even if they are already familiar with the technology around them. Being prepared is better, as it is not a question of when it happens, but how quickly and effectively blocking the attack or minimizing the damage by machinery malfunctions.
Aside from informing them, empower your teams by conducting cybersecurity emergency simulations. Give and show concrete examples of cyber-physical attacks they may encounter and how they can avoid them. Provide them instructions they can follow in case of emergencies.
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Ask Your Employees to Lock-Up Devices
If your company also has storage locations with sensitive data and devices, advise your workforce to lock them at all times to ward off unauthorized access. Also, inform the whole organization if there are areas out of bounds, and be wary of suspicious personnel.
Ensure that all your company devices, assets, and data storage in your workplace are secured. Remind your employees to make sure to lock their devices if they are going to leave them unattended to avoid unwanted machinery errors and malfunctions.
External accessories and devices such as hard drives, flash drives, and smartphones may also be vehicles for cyber-physical attacks as they can infect, control, and manipulate your computer systems. Educate your teams to avoid bringing such paraphernalia in the work zone. Are you an iPhone user? Better check this out!
Provide Your Employees Cellular WiFi Hotspots or Tethering Plans
As technology progresses and more businesses transition into digitizing their systems, workers are more prone to cyber-physical attacks. The main computer control may have access to all the processes in a workplace, which can be dangerous if left unguarded.
For some, robots or technologically advanced tools now man traditionally operated machinery in manufacturing or construction sites. Failure to monitor these machines may lead to employee accidents that may cause damages to people’s lives and your company’s images and assets.
One of the risks of cyber-physical attacks in your cybersecurity is having your employees connect to public WiFis. To avoid this, provide your remote workers with portable WiFi hotspots or tethering plans that they can use safely. Having such measures can help regulate access to machinery controls as your company’s system is password and login-protected.You can also check out some tips you can use here if you’re working from home to avoid cyber-physical attacks!
