As your credit union continues to navigate remote work environments, consider these tips to enhance IT and security strategies for your workforce.

Prioritize a security-minded culture. Whether employees work remotely or in the office, your credit union should prioritize employee cybersecurity education to help create and maintain a security-minded culture. By creating a culture focused on security, you can ensure employees are knowledgeable about proper online conduct as well as common cyber threats, including phishing and malware. As your credit union works to increase cybersecurity awareness among employees, reinforce how important it is that they ask for assistance after engaging in potentially risky behavior. Even the most well-intentioned and informed employees can make mistakes, so your credit union should create a culture that fosters open communication and encourages employees to immediately alert IT after a mistake is realized.
Develop an Acceptable Use Policy. One result of remote work is the blurred lines of employees' personal and professional lives. In this new work-from-home reality, employees may be more likely to use corporate-owned devices for personal business – leaving your credit union vulnerable to risks. Creating and communicating a clear Acceptable Use Policy that outlines your specific policies for business devices or networks will strengthen your credit union's security posture. In any working environment, an Acceptable Use Policy that establishes rules and expected behaviors will further protect your credit union from security risks and create accountability for employees. Your credit union's Acceptable Use Policy should specifically address remote work environments to educate employees on expectations and risks of operating outside the office.
Implement the CIS Controls. A recommended set of actions for cyber defense, the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls provide specific ways to prevent today's most common attacks. The CIS list includes 20 controls, divided into three categories: Basic (1-6), Foundational (7-16) and Organizational (17-20). Considered both user- and budget-friendly, this framework simultaneously simplifies and strengthens cybersecurity, eliminating common attacks and vulnerabilities. Your credit union should start with the first six controls and complete them in order, as they build upon each other. By incorporating just the Basic Controls, your credit union can reduce cybersecurity risk by 85%.

Strengthening Your Security Posture

With cyberattacks and data breaches on the rise and hackers looking for more opportunities to exploit institutions, no network is safe from cyber threats. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FBI reported a 300% increase in cybercrimes. With an attack occurring every 39 seconds, your credit union must secure your users, devices and data by detecting and preventing threats.

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Bolstering Your Credit Union's IT Strategy

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