Every business should be taking cybersecurity seriously in 2023. Cybercrime continues to become an increasingly bigger and harder-to-manage threat, and businesses of all sizes are targeted. A successful cyber-attack can harm a business in many ways, including bringing the operation to a halt, financial loss, data loss, equipment failure, and reputation damage. These are all serious issues that can even lead a company to fold, so it is hugely important that you take cybersecurity seriously and ensure that you are doing all you can to protect your business. By the end of this post, you will have a solid idea of how to go about doing this.
Use High-Quality Antivirus, VPN & Firewall
First, you should make sure that you have high-quality cybersecurity products in place. This should include antivirus software, a VPN, and a firewall. These products will form a strong foundation and keep you protected against the main cybersecurity threats. Additionally, implementing a Threat Intelligence Platform can provide an advanced layer of security, offering real-time threat intelligence and insights, crucial for adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. Just make sure that you know how to use these products, set up regular scans, and keep them up to date at all times.
Keep Software Up to Date
Leading on from this, you should also make sure that all of your software is kept up to date. It is very easy to delay updates, especially when you and your team are busy working, but this can create a security risk. This is because software providers will create regular updates that contain important security patches that can protect you against the latest threats. Therefore, you should make sure that you and your team complete any software update at the earliest possible moment to keep your protection up to date.
Educate On Common Scams
You need to have the right products in place and keep your software up to date, but you must also educate your team on the most common scams and how to detect them. Attacks are usually successful not due to a lack of protection but human error/negligence, so this needs to be avoided at all costs. Cybersecurity training for your employees will teach them how to carry out their role safely, how to detect common scams like phishing and how to report scams. This will also ensure that cybersecurity is taken seriously throughout the organization and keep it at the forefront of people’s minds.
Create Strong Password Policies & Use 2FA
Following this, you must also have password policies in place to protect your business against hackers. Often, attackers are able to gain access not through advanced tactics but simply by working out or guessing passwords. This is why passwords need to be complex and random, with different passwords used for different accounts. Passwords should also be changed a few times a year passwords can be managed and updated with a password manager. You should also incorporate 2FA as a way to add another layer of protection, which can make all the difference if a hacker is able to work out a password.
A penetration test is an essential aspect of any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, as it helps identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in a system before they can be exploited by hackers.
Use Insider Threat Indicators
You might think that it would never happen to you and that you trust your employees, but insider threats are a growing issue and can impact organizations of all sizes. This is usually an employee, but it can also be a partner, third-party, or anyone else with privileges that abuses these to harm the business. There are a few reasons why this happens, including revenge, profit, espionage, or negligence. There are potential insider threat indicators that you need to be aware of, including unusual login attempts, unauthorized use of applications, excessive downloads, and privilege escalation. There are also behavior signs to watch out for, such as changes in behavior, clashes, and sudden drops in performance. To prevent this from becoming an issue, you will want to use solutions that can monitor user activity to stop issues from happening.
Backup Important Data
Finally, you need to make sure that you and your team are backing up important data. It is easy to forget to do this, so it is a good idea to turn automatic backups on. Backups should be made to an external device, which will offer protection in the event of a cyber-attack or if you encounter any problems with your devices.
Every business needs to make cybersecurity a priority, as cybercrime is a growing and evolving issue affecting businesses of all sizes. The above are a few of the best ways to protect your business, which should prevent you from experiencing an attack that could harm your business in many different ways.
