Unfortunately, nowadays, no one is safe when it comes to cyberattacks. There is a common misconception that small companies aren’t likely targets simply because they probably don’t hold valuable information. This could not be further from the truth.
Did you know that these threats cost companies around $200,000 on average? Yes, that is a lot of money that you could spend on other things to develop your company. In addition check out Network Assured for the 6 common cybersecurity threats in 2024, and according to Bestpctips.com – one of the most common adware threats in 2024 is still the Search9+ adware. Naturally, there are numerous things you can do to boost your security, and here are some of them.
Boost communication & Wi-Fi security
Even though business owners are aware of the fact that communication channels are the weakest security points, most of them still haven’t done anything about it. Naturally, most of them use email and direct messages, but it is crucial to improve their security.
For example, if your employees get laptops and smartphones, you should set some rules on whether they can take them home and use them for anything that is not business-related. Why? Well, if one of your employees connects even a single device on unsecured Wi-Fi, it may become infected.
Then, they come to work, turn on their laptop, set it up, and guess what happens? The malware from that device can now easily spread across your company’s entire network. Similarly, it goes without saying that your Wi-Fi network needs to be hidden and secure. This way, only your employees and people you give access to will be able to use it.
Add a firewall
While discussing Wi-Fi security, we have to tell you how important it is to have a firewall installed. In a nutshell, it will block all potential threats and stop every attempt to gain access to your network from an unfamiliar source. It is basically the first line of defense that will prevent any external attacks or damages from ever happening.
Regularly change passwords
The fact that hackers use passwords to breach security is well-known. It is why every person online is advised to use complex passwords. When it comes to your employees, you have two options. Firstly, you can install software that provides them with a random, complex password every time they log in.
On the other hand, you can provide them with some tips on how to create the best code. Naturally, it needs to have a certain number of characters, a combination of both uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers or symbols.
In addition, they need to change their passwords every few weeks or even more often if you believe necessary. No, it doesn’t matter whether they believe the network is compromised. Even if it all functions perfectly, they still need to do this.
Access control and management
One of the most significant things you have to do is restrict your employees from accessing every file and folder. Everyone doesn’t need to come in possession of certain information.
There are a lot of things that need to be secured, meaning that only a few people should be able to see them. Naturally, when determining these access points, you have to consider each position in your company, the data every person needs to complete their tasks successfully, and so on.
Moreover, it is also a good idea to prevent employees from installing apps and programs on the company devices. Why? Well, first of all, sometimes these apps are downloaded from an unsecured source, so they can pose a risk.
Secondly, there really is no point in anyone adding programs they want because these can seriously intervene with your main server and security software. It is why only your IT department should have the authorization to add or delete apps. To learn more about Access Control Management, have a look at Intellipaat Cyber Security courses.
Have a security software
This tip is pretty obvious, right? Surely you have an antivirus app on your home laptop, so how could you not have one to guard your business network? However, it is not enough just to have software installed.
It is crucial to update and inspect it regularly. Outdated software is one of the easiest access points hackers can use. As you can assume, to only way to prevent this from happening is to ensure that everything functions perfectly.
While on the subject of checking the systems, it may also be a good idea to conduct a cybersecurity audit. According to Cytelligence, even if you have IT experts who work continuously on improving the security of systems, networks, and software, you should also occasionally hire professionals to go over everything.
They will not only determine current issues that you may face, but they will also locate weaknesses in your security and provide you with practical tips on how to eliminate them.
Back up everything
Yes, we know that it is not possible to back up every single thing, but what we are trying to say is that you have to do it when it comes to vital data and information. If a cyberattack does happen, you will be able to go back to business faster if you have copies of all essential files somewhere.
Hopefully, you will decide to store these in multiple locations, and at least one of them will be cloud storage that is an entirely independent third-party solution. This way, you will be able to gain access to it fairly easily, even if your network gets hacked.
What’s more, sometimes, cybercriminals steal valuable data and demand ransom for it. If you have a copy of everything they took, you will be able to handle this situation without any difficulty.
Train your employees
Last but not least, you have to educate your personnel about cybersecurity. You would be surprised how many attacks happen when someone opens a fraudulent email or clicks on an infected link.
These can look legit to the untrained eye, which is why you have to provide your workers with an opportunity to learn how to recognize these. Naturally, there are many things you can do. You can organize seminars, conferences and have experts discuss cybersecurity.
Then, you can develop and manage training programs once or twice a month, etc. Our advice is to analyze your employee’s current education and then plan how you can improve it further.
