Cyberattacks on businesses are almost inevitable with the prevailing situation in the cyberworld. In recent years, companies have fallen victim to a severe cyberattack or put themselves at risk of one because of poor cybersecurity practices.
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Despite the increased level of awareness about the consequences of a cyberattack, it is still a major issue. Security analysts say that to a reasonable extent most of these attacks are avoidable if companies spot infrastructure weaknesses that open the doors to cyberattacks. However, handling these threats takes more than a single anti-virus upgrade; it requires continuous vigilance.
The good news, however, according to experts, protecting your systems are not as complicated as it may sound. Here’s how to begin.
Secure your hardware
The first thing to prevent cyberattacks on your company is to ensure that your hardware is secure, sophisticated, and password protected. The people at onestopit.com have also advised that you make use of 2-way authentication at every point necessary.
Also, never overlook the importance of protecting your physical storage disks. Instead of leaving sensitive data on your hardware, store the data on the cloud which is protected by multiple security layers. Leaving it unprotected allows anyone and everyone to walk away with sensitive data.
Encrypt data
With the level of advancement, it’s difficult to break into the encryption available these days. Encrypting your data gives your company an advantage when your data falls into wrong hands as it becomes useless even if a hacker sniffs it out.
You should also use full-disk encryption to protect all devices and gadgets. Encryption password or key should be stored in a secure location different from your stored backups.
Never send a password or key in the same email as the encrypted document.
Invest in cybersecurity insurance
As a result of the increased sophistication of cybercriminals these days, they can come up with ways to break into even the most advanced cyber defences. Yes, the most security-conscious businesses get vulnerable to cyberattacks. This is where a cyber insurance cover can be crucial. Every business needs to invest in multi-layered security, robust backup, and recovery systems to mitigate risk from cyberattacks.
In the occurrence of an attack, most of the policies will not only cover the financial loss caused by data theft but also help pay the costs incurred in the recovery of data such as payment made to data recovery experts and purchase of new hardware and software components.
Train your employees
Over 90% of cyberattacks use information gotten from employees who unknowingly give it out.
Your best protection against information security threats is cyber-vigilant employees:
- Every employee in your organisation should know:
- Business and personal use permitted for emails
- Handling of business information at the office or home
- Steps to take if a cybersecurity incident occurs
- How to protect valuable data.
Make use of newsletters and/or continuous training to educate employees on the latest happening in the cyber landscape and strengthen your cybersecurity.
You should educate your staff about the risks of using unsecured networks to access work info, how to avoid unsecured websites, and sharing sensitive data on social media. If possible, they should be restricted from password sharing and have them sign your information policy.
Use anti-malware and efficient firewalls
Install firewall systems on every employee’s computer and networked device, make sure they are always up to date.
Firewalls can repel malicious hackers and prevent employees from browsing inappropriate websites. You should also consider installing an intrusion detection/prevention system (IDPs) to provide a greater level of protection.
Keep your operating systems and software updated
Apps can leave the door to a cyberattack open if you don’t regularly patch and update all software on every device. This is because the ability of attackers keeps increasing and scams continue to evolve. This means for you to stay protected, you need to always have the latest release of definitions or software.
Regularly check for updates after purchasing a new computer or installing new software. Software vendors do not provide security updates for unsupported products. For example, Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 7 in January 2020, still using Windows7 means it leaves your business vulnerable.
Download operating system updates as soon as possible as these updates include new or enhanced security features.
Test your backups and security systems regularly
There is nothing worse than thinking you have all the right backups and systems in place, only to discover after a cyberattack that something didn’t work well. You should regularly test your security and protection to ensure that you are never left vulnerable to attacks. An untested and untrustworthy recovery plan is not a plan. For more information on how to conduct an assessment of your critical business infrastructure, see cybri.com/penetration-testing-services/.
How prepared are you for a cyberattack? Are you with the right knowledge and tools for any scenario? Or do you only react when damage has been done?
Featured image: Christopher Gower/Unsplash
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