What Is App Fatigue & Why Is It a Security Issue?

The number of apps and web tools that employees use on a regular basis continues to increase. Most departments have about 40-60 different digital tools that they use. 71% of employees feel they use so many apps that it makes work more complex.

Many of the apps that we use every day have various alerts. We get a “ping” when someone mentions our name on a Teams channel. We get a notification popup that an update is available. We get an alert of errors or security issues.

App fatigue is a very real thing and it’s becoming a cybersecurity problem. The more people get overwhelmed by notifications, the more likely they are to ignore them.

Just think about the various digital alerts that you get. They come in:

Some employees are getting the same notification on two different devices. This just adds to the problem. This leads to many issues that impact productivity and cybersecurity.

Besides alert bombardment, every time the boss introduces a new app, that means a new password. Employees are already juggling about 191 passwords. They use at least 154 of them sometime during the month.

How Does App Fatigue Put Companies at Risk?

Employees Begin Ignoring Updates

When digital alerts interrupt your work, you can feel like you’re always behind. This leads to ignoring small tasks seen as not time-sensitive. Tasks like clicking to install an app update.

Employees overwhelmed with too many app alerts, tend to ignore them. When updates come up, they may quickly click them away. They feel they can’t spare the time right now and aren’t sure how long it will take.
Ignoring app updates on a device is dangerous. Many of those updates include important security patches for found vulnerabilities. When they’re not installed, the device and its network are at a higher risk. It becomes easier to suffer a successful cyberattack.

Employees Reuse Passwords (and They’re Often Weak)

Another security casualty of app fatigue is password security. The more SaaS accounts someone must create, the more likely they are to reuse passwords. It’s estimated that passwords are typically reused 64% of the time.

Credential breach is a key driver of cloud data breaches. Hackers can easily crack weak passwords. The same password used several times leaves many accounts at risk.

Employees May Turn Off Alerts

Some alerts are okay to turn off. For example, do you really need to know every time someone responds to a group thread? Or just when they @name you? But, turning off important security alerts is not good.

There comes a breaking point when one more push notification can push someone over the edge. They may turn off all the alerts they can across all apps. The problem with this is that in the mix of alerts are important ones. Such as an anti-malware app warning about a newly found virus.

What’s the Answer to App Fatigue?

It’s not realistic to just go backward in time before all these apps were around. But you can put a strategy in place that puts people in charge of their tech, and not the other way around.

Streamline Your Business Applications

From both a productivity and security standpoint, fewer apps are better. The fewer apps you have, the less risk. Also, the fewer passwords to remember and notifications to address.

Look at the tools that you use to see where redundancies may be. Many companies are using two or more apps that can do the same function.

Consider using an umbrella platform like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. These platforms include several work tools, but users only need a single login to access them.

Have Your IT Team Set up Notifications

It’s difficult for users to know what types of notifications are the most important. Set up their app notifications for them. This ensures they aren’t bombarded yet are still getting the important ones.

Automate Application Updates

A cybersecurity best practice is to automate device and software updates. This takes the process out of employees' hands. It enhances productivity by removing unnecessary updates from their view.

Automating device updates through a managed services solution improves security. It also mitigates the chance there will be a vulnerable app putting your network at risk.

Open a Two-Way Communication About Alerts

Employees may never turn off an alert because they’re afraid they might get in trouble. Managers may not even realize constant app alert interruptions are hurting productivity.

Communicate with employees and let them know they can communicate with you. Discuss how to use alerts effectively. As well as the best ways to manage alerts for a better and more productive workday.

Need Help Taming Your Cloud App Environment?

Today, it’s easy for cloud tools to get out of hand. Get some help consolidating and optimizing your cloud app environment. Give us a call today.

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Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

Reportedly, the special counsel is investigating Trump's dismissal of the cybersecurity official.

The US special counsel, Jack Smith, is investigating former President Donald Trump's firing of Christopher Krebs, who oversaw the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa) under Trump. The investigation is part of a broader inquiry into Trump's attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The New York Times reported that Smith has subpoenaed former White House staffers and Krebs himself. Trump fired Krebs in November 2020, shortly after Cisa issued a statement calling the election "the most secure in American history." Cisa works to protect US elections and Krebs had expected to be fired.

Trump has persistently made unfounded claims of widespread election fraud and promised pardons for supporters who attacked the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, in a failed effort to block certification of Joe Biden's victory. Smith is leading a grand jury investigation into Trump's actions, while a special bipartisan House committee urged the Department of Justice to charge Trump with crimes including inciting or aiding an insurrection.

In addition to the investigation into Krebs' firing, Smith is also investigating Trump's handling of classified documents found at his residence in Florida after he left the White House. Trump faces several other legal threats, including a New York grand jury indictment for falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to a porn star before the 2016 election. The New York attorney general has sued Trump and his company for alleged fraud, while a civil trial in New York found Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation relating to an allegation of rape. Trump denies all allegations and accuses prosecutors of a political "witch-hunt."

Canada Introduces Cyber Security Certification for Defence Contractors

Canada's Defence Minister, Anita Anand, announced at the annual defence trade show in Ottawa that Canada will collaborate with the United States to develop a cyber security certification framework for defence contractors. The framework will be identical for both countries and aims to combat the increasing incidents of malicious hacking. The Defence Minister highlighted that the recent conflict between Russia and Ukraine has emphasized the importance of cyber security to national security. Malicious cyber activities have targeted defence contractors and subcontractors across Canada, leaving classified information vulnerable. The Canadian certification framework is expected to be in place by the end of next year to prevent Canadian suppliers from being excluded from future international defence procurement opportunities. The collaboration with the United States will ensure that defence contractors working in both countries will only need to be certified once.

How ISPs Serve as the Initial Line of Defense Against Cyber-Crime

The CEO of Risk Crew, Richard Hollis, has called on internet service providers (ISPs) to do more to counter cybercrime. In 2016, a DDoS attack on DNS provider Dyn, using the Mirai botnet, took down large swathes of the internet, including Netflix, Amazon and Twitter. Since then, cybercrime has surged, with data showing that 14 million online files are stolen every day. Hollis argues that ISPs should be doing more to curb cyber-attacks that result in costly downtime for businesses. The World Economic Forum has released guidance on the issue, but not all ISPs abide by it. Hollis suggests that businesses should demand more from their ISPs to help counter the threat.

How ISPs Serve as the Initial Line of Defense Against Cyber-Crime

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) need to do more to counter cybercrime, according to Richard Hollis, CEO of Risk Crew. In 2016, a DDoS attack on the Domain Name Service provider Dyn, using the Mirai botnet, knocked out Dyn's network and 175,000 of its customers, including Netflix, Amazon, PayPal and Twitter. Since then, cybercrime has surged to unprecedented levels, with 14 million online files stolen every day. Hollis argues that ISPs need to tighten the rules on who they let through their digital doors and take responsibility for the raw sewage that their pipes deliver into homes and businesses. Businesses should demand more from their ISPs and ask what they are doing to monitor and reduce threat activity occurring on their networks that could impact their operations. ISPs have the power to implement minor changes that would bring major benefits, such as installing basic filters in their pipes to dramatically clean the sewage businesses and citizens receive every time they log on to the internet.

How ISPs Serve as the Initial Line of Defense Against Cyber-Crime

The CEO of Risk Crew, Richard Hollis, has called on internet service providers (ISPs) to do more to counter cybercrime. Hollis argues that ISPs are the gatekeepers to the internet and should be doing more to protect their customers from cyber threats. He points to the 2016 DDoS attack on DNS provider Dyn, which took down large swathes of the internet, including Netflix, Amazon, PayPal, and Twitter, as evidence of the need for greater action. Hollis suggests that businesses should demand more from their ISPs, and highlights recommendations from the World Economic Forum on preventative measures that ISPs can take. He also notes that current legislation in the UK focuses on the security requirements of ISPs themselves, rather than monitoring and mitigating threats and malicious activity taking place on their networks.

How ISPs Serve as the Initial Line of Defence Against Cyber-Crime

The CEO of Risk Crew, Richard Hollis, has argued that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must do more to counter cyber-crime, and that their business clients must demand that they do so. Hollis pointed to the 2016 Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on Domain Name Service (DNS) provider Dyn, which took down large swathes of the internet, including Netflix, Amazon, PayPal and Twitter. The attack was launched using the Mirai botnet, which consisted of thousands of compromised IoT devices infected with malware. Hollis argued that ISPs are the gatekeepers to the internet and should be doing more to curb cyber-attacks that result in costly downtime for businesses. He suggested that businesses should demand more from their ISPs to help them counter the threat of cyber-crime, and that ISPs could implement minor changes that would bring major benefits, such as installing basic filters in their pipes to clean the sewage businesses and citizens receive every time they log on to the internet.

How ISPs Serve as the Initial Line of Defence Against Cyber-Crime

The CEO of Risk Crew, Richard Hollis, has called on internet service providers (ISPs) to do more to counter cybercrime. In 2016, a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on DNS provider Dyn using the Mirai botnet knocked the company offline and affected 175,000 of its customers, including Netflix, Amazon, PayPal and Twitter. Since then, cybercrime has surged, with 14 million online files stolen every day. Hollis argues that ISPs should be doing more to curb cyberattacks that result in costly downtime for businesses. The World Economic Forum has released guidance on how ISPs can reduce attacks on their customers, but not all ISPs abide by them. Hollis suggests that businesses should demand more from their ISPs to help counter the threat of cybercrime.

The Role of ISPs in Cybersecurity: Providing the First Line of Defence Against Cybercrime

The CEO of Risk Crew, Richard Hollis, has called on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to do more to counter cyber-crime. Hollis argues that ISPs are the gatekeepers to the internet and should take more responsibility for the raw sewage that their pipelines deliver into homes and businesses. In 2016, a DDoS attack on DNS provider Dyn, using the Mirai botnet, took down large swathes of the internet, including Netflix, the Guardian, Amazon, PayPal and Twitter. Since then, cyber-crime has surged to unprecedented levels, with data showing that 14 million online files are stolen every day. Hollis suggests that businesses should demand more from their ISPs to help counter the threat of cyber-crime. ISPs have the power to implement minor changes that would bring major benefits, such as installing basic filters in their pipes to clean the sewage businesses and citizens receive every time they log on to the internet.

How Cyber Security Assessments Assist Business Leaders in Identifying Their Risk Levels

A recent article from eMazzanti Technologies, a cyber security firm based in NYC, highlights the importance of cyber security assessments for businesses. The article explains that cyber vulnerabilities can have a significant impact on an organization's performance and reputation. The author outlines several benefits of a cyber security assessment, including compliance with privacy laws and industry regulations, avoiding costly breaches, gaining a competitive advantage, and improving productivity. The assessment process begins with an inventory of data and information systems, policies, processes, and security controls. Penetration testing is a critical component of the assessment process, which simulates real-world attacks to pinpoint actual risks from the perspective of a motivated attacker. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of regular cyber security assessments as part of an ongoing cyber security strategy. The experts at eMazzanti Technologies help businesses design and implement a comprehensive security strategy tailored to their organizational needs and business goals.

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