Train your whole team, keep your software patched, and get a managed services provider in place before Gen Z shows up. Growing up with smartphones and social media did not make this generation more cyber-secure. Reports point the other way. And many business owners worry that the instinct to share everything online will lead a young employee to leak something sensitive, the kind of slip that can cost you money, expose you legally, or damage your name.
Scammers have noticed how much sway influencers hold over their followers. Steve Durbin, CEO of the Information Security Forum, expects organized criminal groups to start posing as influencers to trick tech-dependent people into handing over information about their employer. He isn't the only leader raising the alarm.
A study from the UK's advisory, conciliation and arbitration service found that 70% of surveyed managers were concerned about Gen Z entering the workforce. They pointed to instant gratification, resistance to authority, and weak face-to-face communication. Entrepreneur magazine reports that many Gen Zers struggle to tell the difference between friends they've made online and people they know in real life. And the National Cybersecurity Alliance's Annual Cybersecurity Attitudes and Behaviors Report found that millennials and Gen Zers are more likely to run into a cyberthreat, and have had their identities stolen more often than baby boomers. The concern is real.
None of this means you should panic about hiring young workers. You have plenty of room to get ahead of it. The catch is that you have to move first. Staying current on security practices is something you do on purpose, not something that happens on its own.
Start with a security training program, or update the one you have. You want everyone bought into the same culture, and a program is how you get there. It removes the guesswork and keeps practices consistent from one employee to the next. Build that culture before new people start and training them on your processes gets a lot easier.
Next, keep every piece of software updated. Skipping updates leaves you open, because those updates usually close the holes attackers go after. When one ships, don't sit on it. If your team uses smartphones for work, make sure the right security software is installed and that it stays current too.
If you'd rather not carry all of this yourself, hire a managed services provider. An MSP backs up your data, keeps your systems reliable, and frees up time you can spend elsewhere in the business. For the money, it's the most practical way to raise your security across the board.
Gen Z brings its own challenges, but their security habits don't have to be one of them if you prepare. Use password managers, hire an MSP, and start a training program soon to kick off a security-minded culture. We've brought new generations into the workforce plenty of times. This one is no harder, just different.