Featured article by Andrej, Digital Marketing Specialist
Statistics show that 2019 saw an estimated 1,473 data breaches. The first half of 2020 recorded 540 breaches.
If you are not worried about an attack, you should be. A common assumption made is that cyber-attacks tend to target huge corporations. But nothing can be further from the truth. A recent study revealed that as many as 43% of cyber-attacks are aimed at small businesses.
This means that you have to think proactively about your business getting hacked, irrespective of its size or industry. Here are some tips to protect your business from cyber-attacks.
Think Like a Hacker
This borrows from the idea of using a thief to catch a thief. By thinking like a hacker, it means you are able to identify weak links that can be explored to hack your enterprise. However, this requires a thorough understanding of cybersecurity, and unless you have a background in IT, you may not be able to do much.
One of the best things you can do to arm yourself is to take a cybersecurity course. These short courses can be taken online and do not require a background in tech. Visit Training New Zealand to check out some excellent options.
Educate Employees
Security is not just a management function. Every member of your staff should have some security training. Ideally, you should include this in your induction process to be supplemented by regular in-house training.
Some of the things your internal security training should cover include the following:
– How to set up proper passwords
– How to identify a phishing attack-and what to do about it
– How to spot a spoof website
– Data sharing on social media and other data networks
Phishing attacks specifically are mainly aimed at employees in targeted companies. The people behind this take advantage of employee’s ignorance of cybersecurity.
Change Passwords Regularly
You not only need to use strong passwords but also, you need to change them regularly. Ideally, a password should have multiple numbers, random symbols, and special characters.
Most cyberattacks when a hacker gets access to your username and password. To be safe, change these on a weekly or monthly basis. It is rather bothersome, but considering how much an attack would cost your business, it’s worth the effort.
Institute Access Restrictions
Limiting access to certain information to only a few people lowers the risk of a breach. Here are some things to consider.
– Allow admin access to limited people
– Limit admin access to WAN/intranet
– Enable multi-factor authentication if possible
– Enable audits to track online user activities
Similarly, make a point to firewall sites that do not directly support your business’ operations.
Choose ISP’s wisely
When selecting an ISP, look further than just speed and cost. While it might seem like all ISP’s are similar, they are not.
As you do your vetting, pay particular attention to finding out the security measures instituted by each provider. You want to work with an ISP with intricate in-built security measures that will provide an added layer of protection to supplement your business’ internal security efforts.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication
This is also known as two-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication adds an extra security layer to your software. This has become much easier to use as most software today comes with the feature.
Similarly, consider using the One Time Password (OTP), which generates a one-time use authentication. With this, you significantly minimize the risk of being hacked.
It’s a Continuous Effort
With hackers working to find newer and better ways to hack into companies, you cannot allow yourself to be complacent on the issue. Keep reviewing your security protocol, retraining staffers, and researching better ways to protect yourself.
Andrej Kovačević
Andrej is an accomplished digital marketing specialist and an avid internet technologist. Throughout his career, Andrej has combined his passion for cutting-edge technology with a keen eye for emerging industry trends to deliver customized marketing solutions to businesses and clients around the globe. He believes that the key to modern marketing excellence is a constant willingness to learn and adapt to the ever-changing digital world.
