SMBs have suffered massive blows and financial losses because of cyberattacks. Phishing, identity theft, social engineering, malware, network penetration – these remain some of the core cybersecurity concerns for almost every organization, large and small. Hackers are often interested in finding and exploiting the security vulnerabilities that exist within the systems, and therefore, while a reactive approach is important, companies need to take proactive cybersecurity on priority. What can your business do about cybersecurity concerns? We have a few guidelines below for help.
- Train your employees. One of the key spending in cybersecurity should be employee training. Let your teams know what their roles are in ensuring security, and how they can respond to a possible phishing email. Establish a set of dos and don’ts for online browsing, using public networks, and unknown chats, and if there is an incident, encourage your employees to report the same.
- Focus on malware attacks. Malware attacks are more common than you probably think. From ransomware, to trojans, hackers are using all means to attack businesses, and the obvious aim is often to steal data, compromise with security, or extort money. Find ways to handle malware concerns better. For instance, a spam filter for emails should be made must, backups should be taken regularly, and antimalware & anti-ransomware software programs must be installed.
- Password protection is a must. Strong passwords, with at least 10 characters, special characters, uppercase & lowercase letters, and numbers, are a must, and employees should use a password manager. It is also important to use multifactor authentication where needed, and if your company is not using lockout feature as yet, it is time to do the same.
- Update software, OS and firmware. All firmware, software, and operating systems, should be updated to the latest version. Ensure that the programs or software that are not required anymore are uninstalled. Protection of physical hardware is as important, so install security cameras, especially IP cameras.
- Seek help. There is no harm in hiring cybersecurity experts on payroll, or take advice from services that deal in cybersecurity for other firms. The eventual goal is to strength your security perimeters, and if you don’t have the in-house experience, expertise, and resources, getting experienced people on board always comes in handy.
Check online for more ideas on how to deal with cybersecurity and make this your first organizational objective for 2021. There is no excuse for missing out on this, especially considering the consequences of a cyberattack.
