As of 2017, more than 50 percent of startups are victims of cyber-attacks, according to Symantec’s cyber security report. Surprisingly, more than 60 percent of the cyber-attack victims are out of the business world after 6 months. What does this mean? The sad truth is more and more SME’S and medium-sized companies have been the main targets and they have suffered the hardest hits in recent years. As a startup, while you might not be able to stop attackers from infiltrating your business, there are effective steps you can take to prevent or at least reduce the amount of damage that can occur. You don’t have to experience the dark underworld of the internet, here is Neil Haboush, a financial and technical manager in Beaconsfield to walk you through some cyber security tips to ensure your business stays safe and secure in the complex digital world.
Use Strong Password
As much as simple passwords are attractive they can be the key for easy access for attackers. You won’t forget easily and it doesn’t come with the hassle of management when one password is used across different sites. Well, you are simply making the whole process easy for hackers. One of the effective, practical ways is to use stronger passwords. That is a combination of special characters, numbers, mixtures or caps and small’s letters and complex ordering. To be safer, use different passwords across multiple sites and this will ensure not all your accounts are messed with. However, managing multiple passwords can daunting, but having a password manager that saves all the passwords in a safe encrypted form will ensure none is Lost.
Use Two-factor Authentication/Multi-factor Authentication
Two- factor authentication is an extra layer of protection that passes beyond mere username and password to include something the user has on them. This proves to be a more effective way of securing sensitive information than single based authentication. As explained by technician Neil Haboush, the authentication method might require, for instance, the user, providing a password, then either a security token such as cell phone and/or biometrics (such as picture or fingerprints).
Stay on Guard
It’s not enough to get security software or tools installed, ensuring they’re also up to date will ensure you are taken a proactive approach to cyber security. Your antivirus and antiphishing tools are there to detect, protect and prevent malicious attacks if they are aren’t updated, you are simply creating loopholes for attackers. A good rule of thumb is to get your software and network update and checked regularly by cyber security experts to ensure there aren’t any cracks in your security walls.
Provide Cyber security Training for the Employees
With different expertise and specialization in the workplace, some employees can be the gateway for cyber-attacks, data breaches or phishing scams as hackers might take advantage of their ignorance. Investing in cyber security education for your employees is very important to ensure information are secured at every end. Moreover, limit access to sensitive information, data and cyber security maintenance to in-house or your cyber security team only.
Organizations embracing the latest trends such as remote workers, BOYD and IoT, should also train employees on both physical and cyber security and go the extra mile in investing in high-quality devices that come with the latest software and security control.
Be Smart, Do Not Give Away too Much
Sharing way too much information across social media platforms is generally not a good idea. Business needs to be careful and vigilant when giving out information. Moreover, be aware that information can also be compromised physically. Physical security breaches can occur when dumpster divers ransack wastes for documents containing sensitive information, discarded storage media or files. Shred or burn the document to stay safe.
While you are incorporating these cyber security tips to stay secure, it is also important to have a recovery plan put in place.” says Neil Haboush. In case of security breaches, an organization with an efficient backup plan will be able to recover quickly and avoid the horror stories” Neil adds.
0 comments:
Post a Comment