The increased dependence on technology for personal and company business has created new risks in the areas of cyber-security attacks. There have been many reports of data breaches within the last few years, and there is no questioning how badly hackers want access to personal and company data. The threats and attacks have become more sophisticated, increasing in risk and regularity. Although wise business leaders carry liability insurance in the event of a breach or attack, the wisdom of Hari Ravichandran, famed cybersecurity expert, suggests that all businesses understand the new risks of cyber threats and the exposure one’s company faces. Your company can’t be kept 100% safe from a breach, but knowledge is power when it comes to defenses. Internal policies and proactive safety measures ensure a company’s preparedness against attack.
Devise Your Strategy
The first step to a good defense is acknowledging the threat of cyberattacks and the reality that your company may fall victim to a security threat. Ignoring the potential for damage isn’t just creating a false sense of security, as it leaves more areas of vulnerability open to attack. There are companies of all sizes facing very real threats at an alarming rate, and acknowledging to yourself and your employees that issues need to be addressed is the way to stay one step ahead of the attackers. Devise a strategy that addresses the security risks of your company, looking at each level of data, storage, transmission, personnel, and processes that could be vulnerable. Establishing effective controls at each level and ranking the sensitivity of different categories can help narrow down with tools that will be most effective against threats.
Educate Your Employees
Even if you know the dangers of cyberattacks, you can’t be everywhere at once and carefully watching all front for a sign of danger. You need to educate your employees on the different phishing scams, malware links, ransomware spam emails, and fraudulent accounting tactics that hackers will use to elicit data or finances from the company. With many employees connecting their mobile devices to their work-related information, personal security lapses have become a serious threat to the well-defended commercial data. Your second task should be to raise employee awareness, crafting training programs that educate personnel about data protection and security protocols. This includes the importance of passwords and authentication measures. Long gone are the days when you can leave your password on a scrap of paper under your keyboard, or set your children’s initials and birthdates as your password. If you want to set up strong boundaries that can block a majority of hacking attempts, use a password management system and require that passwords be changed frequently. Remind employees to never store their passwords on paper, in the cloud, or in a text file, and add two-factor authentication for services that house much of a company’s most sensitive information.
Use Antivirus Measures
Your IT department can help with installing antivirus software on your company devices, and this software is designed to protect your devices and information from malicious software, Some of the more commonly used cyberattacks are in the form of ransomware, malware, Trojan horse programs, and botnets. For some companies, trusting their antivirus protection to employees monitoring alarms isn’t enough, and many choose to outsource their security measures to companies that are able to track and rebuff attacks with more efficiency. However, you do need to train your employees on how to respond to antivirus signals, making sure that the threat is taken seriously and appropriate protocols are followed to stall the attack. Part of the defenses against ransomware includes having data backups that can’t be compromised through criminal attacks. Rather than worrying about your data being held hostage and paying out ransom demands, backups can easily restore your data if something happens to your network or the physical device. Cloud-based storage is growing in popularity with many companies, but this doesn’t always guarantee that data has been backed up. Contract with a separate service to continually back up your data in the event of a software attack or natural accident that may destroy access to your information.
Choose Top-Rated Protection
If you are serious about protecting your company from cyberthreat, don’t try to find a cheap option for data security or simple password changes to block out hackers. The best way to protect your data is through encryption services, and end-to-end encryptions are the highest level of protection you can take when your company deals with highly sensitive files and information. End-to-end processes will encrypt your files before they leave your device and remain encrypted until it reaches the client. Only your company possesses the power to unlock the setting. You need to make sure your service provider isn’t able to see your passwords or encrypted files in plain text.
Cybersecurity threats are a very real concern, and there is affordable protection for each level of data sensitivity. Training and educating your employees about the threat makes sure everyone is on the same page when addressing potential risks.
