Ideas to improve your company’s IT security
The web and its associated tech have completely transformed modern business and helped firms branch into new markets in ways never previously possible. However, while there have been tremendous advantages brought to firms, there is a flip side to these technologies that also poses a considerable threat – particularly to smaller firms.
Anytime you or your staff go online at work, you potentially leave your firm wide open to a cyberattack – one that will likely cripple your business. Indeed, it’s currently suggested that 81% of all security breaches happen in Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and of the firms attacked, around 60% will go out of business within the following six months.
Simple security steps you can take today to protect your firm
If you feel your firm might be at risk from an attack, below are some simple steps you can take that will help mitigate the risk posed by online hackers.
Entrust your digital operations to a skilled cloud service provider: Migrating your company’s IT to a cloud service provider will bring massive benefits to your firm – not least of which is the hugely improved security these companies can offer. A cloud company running zero trust solutions will give you complete peace of mind that your data and software are safe. Also, while no platform could ever claim to be 100% outside the reach of determined hackers, should the worst happen and you do fall victim to a breach, you’ll feel safe knowing you have professional support and advice on hand – plus backups to restore your data.
Pay to have a security assessment: No matter how skilled in IT you or your team feel you are, there is no substitute for paying for a computer security specialist to audit your processes and look for potential weak spots or backdoors.
Train your team in data security and the risks posed online: Unfortunately, humans are very often the weakest link when it comes to online security so you should ensure your employees are regularly trained to recognize the dangers that lurk online. Social engineering attacks like phishing have become the tool of choice for many hackers to infiltrate data. You should train your team on how to spot a phishing attack as well as the other tactics frequently employed by cybercriminals.
Change passwords regularly and avoid sharing them between accounts: You and your staff should never share passwords between accounts (for example, a Gmail and work account) and should also update them regularly. Another thing to consider is ensuring you only use hard-to-guess alphanumeric passwords.
Update your software and Operating System when prompted: Software developers are in a constant battle with hackers that aim to exploit backdoors into their apps. Not updating your software and Operating System (OS) regularly is one of the easiest and most tempting routes for a hacker to gain access to your systems.
Add Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to your processes: You’ll likely be aware of Two-Factor Authentication if you bank online. With 2FA, you add an extra layer of protection to your IT systems by requiring users to input a secondary access code that is sent to their device – usually by SMS.
