People and habits

How quickly can you actually change your habits? A habit is usually something you do automatically. There are often actions that happen without requiring so much of your head on the road. A habit can be so many things. It could be that you should go to work more, drink more water or empty your inbox every Friday.

Your digital habits are also part of this here. Digital habits are the way you use your PC, mobile and the internet in general. Not everyone is equally aware of the habits they have added, and that is because the digital tools have become a large part of everyday life in a very short time. These habits most likely include everything from research and how you work to contact with colleagues and family.

In a normal everyday life in our digital age, there is also an insane amount of information that needs to be digested in a short time. It also increases the chance that your digital habits could become dangerous. Both for you as a private person and for the company you work for. It might sound gross, but keep reading and we'll give you more answers. Because you can prevent this!

The reason digital habits can become dangerous is because a business is made up of people. All these people share files, grant access and communicate in different ways. Some people enjoy working on one task at a time without checking an online newspaper or two. While others hover between tasks, mail, teams, file sharing and today's news. One minute there, 10 minutes here and suddenly smoke for a few minutes there too. Many decisions must be made quickly, and sometimes mistakes can be made.

So when does a digital habit become dangerous? We will look into that.

88% of cyber attacks happen because people make mistakes

Many people are not aware that they themselves can make mistakes that lead to cyber attacks. But when 88% of cyber attacks happen as a result of human error, then the chances are high that you could become part of the statistics. People can make mistakes, but that doesn't mean it could n't have been avoided. If you and your company learn what the danger signals look like, then attacks and security holes can be prevented. In addition, it is good to have habits that facilitate safe operation.

Here are habits that can be dangerous:

  • To quickly hover between tasks: Are you a little stressed? Do you feel the time crunch getting to you? Should only x, should only y... The reason why hovering between tasks can be dangerous is because you can lose track of who sends mail to you, who receives mail from you, who gained access to that file and where your information goes. Here, too, people may find it easy to click on links and download attachments because the pressure of work can be overwhelming and the brain works in too high a gear. An occupational group that is highly exposed is e.g. accountants in high season for finalizing annual accounts and tax returns. Do you think you would have noticed the phishing if you were in the middle of the busiest season in your profession?

45% of employees Microsoft has asked, admit that they have clicked on links in phishing emails.

  • Sluggishness in uploading or saving in the right place: Does the company actually have a proper system for file sharing? Are you good at putting your files where they should actually be? If a colleague needs something from you ASAP or someone else has suddenly fallen ill – do you have control over where to send them? Or is it "faster" if you download and share outside the system? Maybe send to your personal email since their email system has a limit on attachment sizes? Information can quickly go astray here. Not only is it dangerous, but it can harm many more than you internally in the company. No one with good intentions wants sensitive information lying around.

Access to sharing tools other than those used by the company is large. This allows employees to go their own way and share via Dropbox, Filemail and WeTransfer. All without the IT manager having approved it. Then you have no control over whether the data goes to the right place. 

  • Same password in several places and reuse of passwords: Do you feel guilty? A survey which digi.no has highlighted shows that as many as 65% reuse their password. Most people are aware of the risk, but we make it clear again: Not changing passwords often enough and reusing passwords can ultimately result in bankruptcy for a business and identity theft for a private person.

Together we can avoid it! Here we have collected our best tips for your passwords: Our expert advises you on how to protect yourself against digital attacks

  • To connect indiscriminately to public and guest networks: Are you careful about which networks you connect your PC to? If not, then you should be. Connecting to a network you don't know enough about can be risky. It can be very easy for a third party to gain access to your data, and thus also the values ​​you are sitting on. Make sure you only connect to networks you trust.

Did you think the network didn't matter? Then we will show you how important the box can be in security work! Take a look here. 

Hwhat are habits and what are routines? 

When human error is 88% of the reason why companies experience digital attacks, it means that your keystrokes a little too fast, your stress in answering or a hasty click on a link can lead to unauthorized access to the company's most important data. We want to avoid that. Therefore, we will also distinguish between habits and routines. For many, these go into each other. Some people have made a habit of never clicking on links or downloading attachments. While others have this written down in their routines. A habit can easily become a formal routine, but the road is often longer for a formal routine to become a habit.

The company you work for is responsible for establishing the routines. So if you are wondering how to share files or where important matters need to be clarified, the employer must have thought about it. If the employer has not thought about it - yes, then we recommend doing it now. If you have good and well-thought-out routines, you most likely have better digital habits than most. But the main problem arises when you as an employee do not follow the routine or the way you work leads to lethargy and quick decisions. Then it can be a short journey from a good mood to a very bad mood. Businesses can also obtain and activate security features that help prevent accidental downloads and accidental sharing of file material.

You as a private person can also set routines. You can teach your family that we do not connect to the café Wi-Fi abroad, and that sudden SMS messages from Posten, Bring or others must be checked by you before they click on links.

Routines can be extra important for training your people in digital security. And if you work in an organization where none of these things are discussed, then we recommend sending them in our security pages.

Do you have habits that should be changed?

It is said that a habit can be changed in approx. three weeks, but some say that 90 days is what it takes for the new habit to be set and established. We wonder if the same applies to digital habits. What do you think? And how quickly can you actually change your habits?

If you recognized one or more of the digital habits we mentioned above, we just want to say that you are by no means alone. As I said, we all have our habits. The most important thing is that you are aware of the risks of continuing as you are doing today. Ideally, we want you to change the dangerous habits, but sometimes that is too difficult. We therefore recommend purchasing software that can help get the job done. Among other things, we recommend Digital workplace with us. Read more about it here!

Stay safe!