Passwords and People are the Biggest Risks to Businesses’ Cyber Security, says Consolidated Communications’ Head of Network Security

During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Consolidated reminds businesses 81 percent of breaches are caused by weak or stolen passwords

Your employees may present the biggest risk in network security, reports Aaron Reason, senior director of Network Security for Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL) a leading broadband and business communications provider. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and in addition to serving business customers with best-in-class broadband and security services, Consolidated is aiming to educate businesses and individuals on safe online practices at Consolidated.com/staysafeonline.

“Between phishing, vishing and bad password practices, bad actors are gunning for your business,” Reason shared recently on LinkedIn. “Of course, you need to have strong partners in network security, and ensure your firewalls are ready for the next attack, but you also need to actively educate and train your employees.”

Passwords continue to be the top cause of cyber breaches, and for good reason. Faulty memories lead the majority of people to reuse passwords across platforms, and three in four people say they aren’t sure how to create a secure password at all. This creates an ideal scenario for hackers, and once they are in, new forms of attack are making them harder to detect than ever before.

In the business world, proactive network management and a strong firewall are crucial, as are zero-trust network security policies. While artificial intelligence can be a useful tool in a company’s defense, Reason explains “there’s no substitute for knowing your network security environment and working with a trusted partner.” As for employee education, Reason recommends ongoing education to ensure every employee:

• Knows how to recognize and report phishing – still one of the primary threat actions used by cybercriminals today;
• Understands the benefits of using a password manager;
• Enables multi-factor authentication on personal devices and business networks, wherever available; and
• Installs updates on a regular basis and turns on automated updates.

For organizations looking for additional help educating their employees, the National Cybersecurity Alliance offers a range of resources at https://staysafeonline.org.

Businesses of any size can visit Consolidated.com to learn more about keeping their company, employees and customers safer online. Individuals looking for tips to stay safe online can visit Consolidated.com/staysafeonline.

About Consolidated Communications

Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSL) is dedicated to moving people, businesses and communities forward by delivering the latest reliable fiber communications solutions. Consumers, businesses and wireless and wireline carriers depend on Consolidated for a wide range of high-speed internet, data, phone, security, cloud and wholesale carrier solutions. With a network spanning more than 50,000 fiber route miles, Consolidated is a top 10 U.S. fiber provider, turning technology into solutions that are backed by exceptional customer support. Learn more at consolidated.com. Connect with us on social media.

About Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is designed to engage and educate public- and private-sector partners with the goal of raising awareness about cybersecurity to increase the resiliency of the nation in the event of a cyber-incident. This united effort is necessary to maintain a cyberspace that is safer and more resilient and remains a source of tremendous opportunity and growth for years to come. For more information, visit staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/

About National Cybersecurity Alliance

The National Cybersecurity Alliance is a non-profit organization on a mission to create a more secure, interconnected world. We advocate for the safe use of all technology and educate everyone on how best to protect ourselves, our families, and our organizations from cybercrime. We create strong partnerships between governments and corporations to amplify our message and to foster a greater “digital” good. National Cybersecurity Alliance’s core efforts include Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October); Data Privacy Week (Jan. 24-28th); and CyberSecure My Business™, which offers webinars, web resources and workshops to help businesses be resistant to and resilient from cyberattacks. For more information, please visit https://staysafeonline.org.

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