The Importance of Routine Cybersecurity Practices: Learning From Slack And Honeygain

As the world becomes increasingly digitalized, companies and individuals invest more time, effort, and money in cybersecurity. Socializing, entertainment, money-making, and other online opportunities are a by-product of the world wide web — often, they benefit our lives meaningfully.

Alongside digitalization, cybersecurity is as much a top priority as it is a valid concern for most companies and individuals. From data protection to identity verification, the need for constant or routine revisions in safety procedures is of paramount importance to businesses and organizations that put internet safety first.

Cybersecurity companies can be of tremendous help with tightening safety from the first step in the user journey, as they are well-equipped to guide internet users on how to protect their data. Most importantly, cybersecurity experts can help to forestall cyber attacks by routinely advising companies, the public sector, and individual users about online safety and by implementing the broader scope of their research and practices.

Implementing Cybersecurity Measures For Users

McKinsey notes that companies have to meet the needs of underserved segments and improve technological services to offer an easy and user-friendly environment. As businesses put effort into protecting the high profit-yielding segments, the other part of the user base becomes vulnerable regarding safety. Constant education and features to support cybersecurity initiatives for every user highlight the focus on end-user safety that enables innovation.

While the cybersecurity market is forecasted to grow by $266.2 billion by 2027, some companies are adopting new security measures to match the increasing demand for data protection, which continues to trend upwards. Businesses hire external consultants and use internal experts to monitor and improve their operations' cybersecurity. A blend of these practices can help businesses educate employees and end-users about such a topic, thus, improving their cybersecurity measures.

An excellent example of proper cybersecurity adoption is Slack, a communication and collaboration platform. With the rise to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company had to adapt to significant growth in user base and implement heightened security initiatives.

All information about its end-user security measures is available on its website. The company lists its certificates, data protection layers, and privacy standards. Slack went through independent assessments from several organizations in different countries to ensure the security of its cloud service. Moreover, it enables users to encrypt their messages and choose data storage periods and permissions.

Another important example to consider is Honeygain, a crowdsourced web intelligence network that continuously implements safety layers to deliver a reliable service to end users. It is focused on user consent and education about what security measures apply at each step while the users share their internet resources for monetary rewards. Honeygain complies with GDPR and CCPA legislation to provide the highest standard for data protection so that every user can safely use the app.

While user consent on publicly available data gathering is the first step, every payout for the shared internet connection is managed by verified payment platforms as a second step. With multiple steps in strengthening the security of their users, Honeygain adopts various safety tools and standards. For example, they have implemented 2-factor authentication for payouts to strengthen the security surrounding monetary transactions alongside other cybersecurity efforts like its anti-cheat system.

Honeygain chose it for its payments because it’s regarded as one of the most popular and user-friendly ways to increase online security — the multi-factor authentication system, which includes 2-factor authentication, reached a market value of $13 billion in 2022. For example, Google found that its 2-Step Verification via SMS sent to a recovery phone number stopped 100% of automated bots. Additionally, it can help companies save up to $3 million per data breach.

Is 2FA really enough for cybersecurity?

However, 2-factor authentication should be one of many security measures if you wish to protect your data and devices. Cybercriminals can target users who use passwords and 2-factor authentication to easily extract information like passwords themselves, secret questions, token-generated passwords, and even device ID data. Moreover, 2-factor authentication heavily relies on the user’s devices — it can’t be set up on a single device.

Other security risks arise with 2-factor authentication, like SIM swapping, device theft, and different ways to gain control over users’ information. Thus, companies should adopt 2-factor authentication as an additional layer of security while simultaneously implementing other measures such as proper authorization and access systems, improved network security, and more.

These examples demonstrate how important end-user safety has become for companies. While 2FA is a great tool in ensuring initial online security, it should be accompanied by additional safety measures like the examples of Slack and Honeygain suggest. Individual cybersecurity efforts are celebrated — but businesses must ensure additional customer security and support as the digital economy expands. If a security measure is popular and widely adapted, it doesn’t mean it’s foolproof.

The best cybersecurity strategy consists of different procedures implemented in tandem with each other. Popular applications like Duolingo, LinkedIn, Tinder, and Dropbox offer multiple layers of cybersecurity to protect users and companies from illicit activities.

When it comes to cybersecurity, every step is essential, whether it seems small or significant. Additionally, constant revisions and upgrades to current safety measures will ensure the company’s and its individual user’s online safety. Therefore, every effort in end-user security should be regarded as the top priority, just like the examples of Slack or Honeygain suggest.