Most businesses operating today in any part of the world have a close link with the internet whether it is online marketing or social media marketing endeavors, selling their products or services online, or even storing market and customer data. Cybersecurity, therefore, is a need of our time not just for commercial enterprises but also for individual use. Here are some cybersecurity tips every business can benefit from.
- Awareness Prevents Disaster
The first step of having effective cybersecurity measures in place is undoubtedly to be fully aware of the threats that face businesses, particularly ones that mostly operate online. Investment should be made for training seminars and courses to be carried out for all the employees in the firm or company even those that are in higher management positions. Specific scams and types of malware may be more common than others so educating the employees about the threat and sensible online practices can prevent major hacker break-ins.
Awareness and training on how to detect and prevent hacker attempts are even more important for employees that are designated to receive and store customer data as well as customer and business financial information. Employees should be informed that their personal activities and lack of vigilance on their own accounts (when using company computers or systems) can also compromise security.
- Assess Risk Frequently
Assessing security risks regularly with the help of cybersecurity experts is paramount because it can lead to early detection of malware, hacker attempts, data leaks, and firewall breaches. Meeting compliance regulations according to industry standards is a vital part of maintaining the privacy of your business and customer data.
Soc 2 audit firms can carry out security risk evaluations in a neutral third-party way by determining the health and efficacy of your security controls particularly when it comes to how customer and client data is managed. Soc 2 is a framework to ascertain whether or not the information security measures employed are sufficient for the business and its operations. The main difference between a soc 1 vs soc 2 is that SOC 1 is focused on internal controls related to financial reporting while SOC 2 is focused on information and IT security.
- Antiviruses And Firewall
The business should make a point of having a quality antivirus subscription installed on all their devices such as computers, laptops, tablets, and even company smartphones. The software should always be of the paid premium security variety and regularly updated to combat the latest threats.
If the business utilizes online payment methods and portals, it should have a firewall to prevent hackers from obtaining sensitive bank information. The business should only use famous, well-known, trusted payment portal vendors. A system and technicians to monitor cyber threats and generate reports on the state of security is a worthwhile investment for any business, one that will pay dividends.
- Protect Data In A Holistic Way
Business secrets, customer data, financial data, accounts, and any other type of information can wreak havoc if it is leaked by a malicious hacking attempt. Not only should a firewall and a monitoring system be put up to prevent this, but data should also be backed up completely in a safe cloud so that if data loss occurs the business can move to minimize the damage. Data corruption is also a real threat in which information may exist with some parts missing rendering it unusable. With backup data banks, the business can resume operations and prevent significant financial losses.
- Multi-Factor Authentication
If cybercrime attacks are successful, any business has a lot to lose. An Orlando criminal defense attorney hired to fight a case of cybercrime will possibly uncover security gaps the same way a soc 2 auditing form might. Passwords should be difficult to guess and stored safely and only shared with top, trusted personnel.
Dark web and firewall monitoring are key to detecting the emergence of any type of malware and using antivirus and VPN can also protect against the most common threats. Hard drive encryption of sensitive data and having separate safe storage areas for storing external hard drives can lessen the chances of a successful hacker attempt.
- Issues A Cybersecurity Policy
Businesses need to make sure only the most trusted employees are given access to very sensitive information. Even physical access to the company computers should be monitored and require the use of unique access codes given only to certain employees. Lastly, a company cybersecurity policy should be created that is obligatory for every employee to read and be aware of. The policy should outline best industry practices in cybersecurity and the steps everyone needs to follow.