We’ve all heard the horror stories of malicious attacks from hackers or long-time employees turning out to be fraudsters taking hard-earned resources from the company, but often, problems that can have major repercussions for continued operations actually stem from human error. These unintended mishaps happen because of a lack of information, regulation, and backup systems in place, but they can be a big sting. Make sure your business is prepped and ready for these mistakes that happen all too often.
Accidental deletion of important files
All too often, employees end up deleting important files accidentally. It could be a crucial document with no other copy, or it could be a system file that was important for some essential programs to run. Some systems allow the recovery of deleted data, but sometimes, if it affected the actual system it was on, there could be no way to get those files back in the same state. This makes it so important to have options like Office 365 email backup solutions so that important data is stored away safely, and you no longer have to worry about any accidental deletion incidents. It’s better to have backups for important data specifically because these possibilities occur more often than one may care to believe.
Downloading viruses
There are so many ways to download malware by accident these days, especially as the digital age has made various platforms more accessible. Hackers are becoming cleverer and more diverse. To adapt to this, it’s important to give proper seminars on online practices to any staff members using any device with internet access, even if it’s not necessarily in their job purview to handle any online operations or transactions. Even if they click a malicious link on their personal phone and then connect that phone to an office desktop to transfer a few work files, then you’ve already gotten yourself a problem. That said, viruses in their original definition only make up 10% of all malware, and there are numerous types of malware to be wary of that can be downloaded in a pinch.
Sending sensitive information to the wrong recipient
One of the most common tales of embarrassment perfectly encapsulating the modern age is the “wrong sent message.” And while this usually consists of intimate texts accidentally sent to a parent, or gossip mistakenly forwarded to the person it was about, it also happens in the workplace at a significant rate. A study revealed that over a fourth of employees accidentally send critical emails to the wrong recipient and that 30% of workers even sent confidential financial details by mistake. Not much more needs to be said to show why this could be extremely problematic for a company, compromising integrity and security.
Using the wrong accounts
In modern-day business, it’s very beneficial (and some would argue even essential) to have an active social media presence. It’s a great way to expand your network, establish credibility, develop more renown, and create connections to both partners and clients. Because it is so representative of the company, it’s important to stick to specific content guidelines, and any misstep can be immortalized on the internet in just a few moments. With that in mind, one has to be careful of social media managers accidentally posting on the page, thinking they are on their own personal account. This actually happens quite often, and while it may lead to some hilarious memes, this is the kind of viral attention you don’t want.
Accidentally corrupting files
Improperly shutting down a computer, unplugging devices mid-transfer of files, spilling coffee on a hard drive, and more. There are just too many ways for things to go wrong and files to be corrupted beyond saving, and it’s all because of simple mistakes that people make when they don’t practice good habits when handling technology. Make sure you implement clear and strict rules regarding this because not adhering to it may result in tons of data lost and resources gone to waste. Preventative measures are just as important as backup systems that should only have to be a safeguard.
71% of organizations experienced malware that spread from employee to employee in the last year alone. Even when this number dropped throughout 2020, it still resulted in more than half of companies suffering that same fate. That poses a significant risk in companies trying to run a smooth business. For this reason alone, you should be wary of human error and take care of any possible weak points that can be leveraged on that. Take the necessary precautions to prevent it from happening to you.
