It’s 4:17 on a Friday afternoon.
An employee receives an email that appears to be from the owner: “Can you send me the updated banking information before you leave?”
The name is right. The tone sounds familiar. And with everyone trying to wrap up the week, the easiest thing to do is simply respond.
There’s only one problem: The owner never sent it.
Your IT team can put strong protections in place, but technology alone can’t prevent every risky click, rushed reply or split-second decision. Some decisions still come down to whether an employee knows what to do when something feels off.
The assumption that leaves businesses exposed
Most business owners believe cybersecurity lives somewhere behind the scenes. The IT team has tools. The computers have protection. Someone schedules the updates. Cybersecurity is “handled.”
In reality, your defenses are tested every time an employee decides whether to trust an email, link or request. Those decisions happen every day, across every part of your company. To truly strengthen your security, employees must know what to do when something doesn’t look right.
Technology can’t make every call
Good security tools can block many attack attempts before employees ever see them, but technology can’t eliminate every questionable request or make every decision on an employee’s behalf.
Phishing attacks aren’t always obvious. Some are designed to appear convincing by using familiar details or impersonating people and organizations the recipient may trust. CISA and NIST both warn that phishing messages can appear to come from trusted or known contacts and recommend independently verifying suspicious or unexpected requests. [cisa.gov], [nist.gov]
When an unusual payment request comes from the CEO, a vendor legitimately changes banking details mid-project or a team member needs access to a document they’ve never opened before, someone must decide what happens next. Rather than relying on the appearance of the message alone, employees should know how to stop and verify unusual requests through a trusted contact method.
“Be careful” isn’t a cybersecurity plan
Most businesses tell employees to watch out for suspicious emails. But what do they do when they find one?
Every employee should know:
- Who to contact
- How to verify a request is legitimate
- Not to click suspicious links or download unexpected attachments
- What to do if they have already clicked a link or downloaded an attachment
- How to report the issue
CISA specifically recommends that employees verify unexpected messages without replying to the suspicious message or using contact information contained within it. Instead, they should use a known contact method. [cisa.gov]
Telling everyone to simply “be careful” without giving a clear next step puts the weight of a high-stakes decision on the employee in the moment. Clear reporting and verification procedures can make it easier for employees to act quickly when something seems wrong.
An employee who isn’t sure whether they’re bothering someone may stay quiet. Someone who fears getting blamed for clicking the wrong thing may wait before reporting it. Encouraging employees to report suspicious activities promptly gives the appropriate team an opportunity to investigate and respond.
Leadership sets the tone
Responsibility starts at the top because employees take their cues from leadership. If the owner routinely skips verification steps because they’re in a hurry, employees may begin to see those steps as less important. If managers make it uncomfortable to flag suspicious activity, employees may be less likely to speak up. If someone clicks something they shouldn’t and gets publicly reprimanded for it, other employees may become hesitant to report their own mistakes.
Fortunately, the opposite can also be true. When leadership normalizes verification, it reinforces the importance of following the process. When an employee who is suspicious of an unusual request is supported rather than brushed off, it demonstrates that checking first is the right call. Creating an environment where employees feel comfortable raising concerns can help suspicious activity get reported sooner.
Cybersecurity works better when everyone knows their role
Back to that employee at 4:17 on a Friday afternoon.
The goal isn’t to make them paranoid about every email they receive. It’s to make sure that when something feels off, they know exactly what to do, who to ask and how to verify.
Speaking up should always feel like the right move.
Your employees don’t need to become cybersecurity experts to help protect your business. They need clear expectations, good habits and the confidence to flag when something doesn’t look right.
Creating that kind of security culture takes ongoing attention, not just training employees once and assuming the job is done. It requires appropriate safeguards, practical processes and continued guidance as threats evolve. CISA recommends training staff to recognize phishing and keeping employees informed about emerging threats between trainings. [cisa.gov]
That’s where the right IT partner comes in. We help businesses take the guesswork out of cybersecurity by identifying gaps, strengthening protections and helping employees understand the role they play in keeping the business secure.
Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility, but you don’t have to manage it alone. Schedule a 10-minute discovery call with our team to start identifying potential gaps in your current approach and opportunities to strengthen your cybersecurity practices.
Call us at 206.414.7441 or schedule a 10-minute discovery call.