Regardless of your company’s security, it will still face cyber attacks. Cyberattacks are common, whether a security breach at your company’s headquarters that gets the details on who you are and what you’re doing in your data or a more sophisticated attack that targets individual employees to sabotage their day-to-day tasks.
The best way to protect your company from cyberattacks is to take preventative measures. There are many ways to mitigate the risk of a cyberattack and ensure that you aren’t hit by one.
Read on for six crucial things you need to know about cybersecurity.
What is a Cyber Attack?
A cyberattack is any attempt to obtain unauthorized access to a computer, system, or network to inflict harm. The goal of a cyberattack is to gain access to, or control over, a computer system. It can also aim to change, block, delete, manipulate, or steal the data stored on or accessible through that system.
Those responsible for cyberattacks are commonly referred to as cyber criminals, and they attack around 93% of company networks globally. Commonly referred to as bad actors, threat actors, and hackers, they are solitary persons who use their computer expertise to create and execute hostile attacks. They may also be part of a criminal syndicate, collaborating with other threat actors to identify vulnerabilities in computer systems that they may exploit for illegal benefit.
- Keep Track of Your Data
When it comes to data security, you can’t keep it all in your head. Make sure you have a paper trail and process for tracking everything that goes into your data. Regularly cross-check the accuracy of information using a third-party service, which will let you know if any data you’re storing is incorrect or outdated.
When storing your information on a computer, ensure you use an antivirus program and scan your computer’s files weekly. If you’re storing it on a server, make sure that you’re using strong encryption and that no one on your team has access to the data except for the employees who need it for their tasks.
You can also use cloud-based solutions such as CASB ( Cloud access security broker) Assessment tools to identify loopholes in your system and implement techniques to fix them. Such tools act as a barrier between your organization’s structure and the cloud’s infrastructure, helping you achieve your security goals.
- Be Smart When Sending and Receiving Data
Cybersecurity threats don’t discriminate when sending or receiving sensitive information. The same goes for your emails. Ensure you’re using a strong password and password manager that is hard to hack.
In addition, it is vital to employ “beefy” encryption software. These programs are meant to be more challenging for hackers to crack than the standard encryption software used by most people. Moreover, these programs use multiple layers of encryption, making it almost impossible for someone to decipher all the data you send or receive. Consult online encryption tools to ensure you use the best encryption software.
- Secure Communication
Secure communication is one of the most effective ways to protect your company from cyber-attacks. Email, messaging apps like WhatsApp, and peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing apps are all popular means of communication that can be easily hacked.
Therefore, it’s best to use secure communication software when communicating with other employees or company leaders. Consider using encryption software when sending or receiving sensitive emails if you have a company email account.
This software will keep your information safe from prying eyes and ears. When you need to share sensitive information, such as financial or medical information, keep in mind that you can always encrypt it and send it via P2P apps.
- Install Strong Authentication and Encryption
It’s easy to assume that strong passwords and passwords manager are a thing of the past. But, as we’ve learned, passwords are not a reliable barrier against hackers. Strong authentication is another effective way to protect against hacks.
One of the most common authentication techniques in the cyber world is One-Time Passwords (OTP). Instead of using passwords, OTP lets you generate a passcode that you can use instead. This passcode can be anything as long as you know it is unique and not just a variation of your password.
OTP is one of the more secure ways to protect your data, as it uses randomness to make it impossible for someone to guess your passcode. OTP is typically done on a website or app where you enter a code that is then auto-filled in the form of a password.
- Monitor and Control Company Activities
Another way to protect your company from cyberattacks is through governance. This is the process of ensuring everything is above board and legitimate. Therefore, when you notice any mismanagement, fraud, or illegality, take action as soon as possible. This includes conducting an internal audit to ensure no issues have gone unnoticed.
Wrapping Up
How can you protect your company from cyberattacks? We hope you now have your answer. Cybersecurity threats aren’t just a threat to your computer or data; they could also hurt your business in the long run. Hence, protecting your company from cyberattacks is essential to any business’s cybersecurity strategy. It’s critical to know how to protect your company from cyberattacks to stay safe. The best method to protect your company from cyberattacks is to plan for everything that could happen. Therefore, ensure you know how to protect your company from cyber-attacks and be prepared for any contingency.
