Cybercrime is on the rise. Businesses small and large across the world are struggling to stop valuable information from getting into the hands of criminals. With rapid developments in technology, cyber-thieves are finding new ways to enter networks and unleash viruses that often go unseen for months at a time.
The good news is that we are not defenseless. With the increase in cybercrime comes an increase in cybersecurity knowledge. Everyday we are learning more about how we can prevent and respond to threats- but this knowledge is only helpful if businesses understand how to incorporate these practices into their daily behavior. Below we list a number of ways your business can protect itself from today’s sophisticated cyber criminals.
Customize Your Firewall
Essentially, firewalls filter information between your computer or network and the internet. You have the ability to customize what is blocked from getting in and out of that connection, as well as preventing certain devices from performing certain tasks. Commonly, firewalls are configured to prevent employees from sending certain types of emails, such as those that include sensitive data, outside of the network.
Firewalls are of two types: there is a hardware firewall that protects entire networks from cybercrime, and a firewall software is installed on individual computers and serves the duty of protecting that device only. No matter your business size, a firewall is a must.
Encrypt Your Data
Another step in securing your sensitive data is to encrypt it. Encryption works by scrambling readable text, which can only be read by the person with the decryption key. It can protect all of the data you send, receive, and store, including interactions through email, cloud storage, and it can even hide your entire operating system. Depending on your needs, you can encrypt your entire drive or just a select few important files. All you need is an encryption software, some of which are free.
Enforce Strong Passwords
Data, no matter how seemingly unimportant, should be secured with a strong and unique password. This includes every device used to access this data. Though this may seem like a basic step, it is often overlooked by businesses, especially for those that employ a remote workforce. Remote work has made it more difficult to monitor the behavior of employees, resulting in major vulnerabilities.
Create a password standard, such as the use of Password Managers that can create complex passwords and store them, and encourage employees to generate new passwords for all of their profiles every 30 days.
Install Anti-Virus And Anti-Malware
These days every computer user has at least one or two anti-viruses installed on them. Companies should have multiple anti-viruses as well as anti-malware installed on every device. Anti-Virus software protects a device from several threats that can come from the internet or are present in the device in the form of hacking files.
If the software is not up-to-date, it allows a breach of security and hackers are able to access the company network through that device. Anti-Malware, on the other hand, are enhanced programs that provide your electronic devices protection from new and unknown threats.
Invest In A Virtual SOC
A Security Operation Center (SOC) is a team of IT professionals that use complex tools and softwares that solely workin the process to protect the data of an enterprise. Hiring a virtual team is a superior, and cost-effective, way to ensure your network is monitored, and ready to respond to threats, 24/7. As the only Government-certified SOC in Canada, SourcetekIT’s SOC stands out from the rest. They are also one of the few cybersecurity firms that provide any organization that signs up for their managed SOC services with a CyberSecure Canada certification. This certification verifies that the organization has enforced the baseline security controls developed by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, communicating to the public that they are dedicated to protecting the personal information of their customers, employees, and partners.
Invest In Physical Security
It’s not just online that criminals can access your data. They can also steal the physical devices that house some of the most important data for your company. Some ways to strengthen your physical security include educating employees to handle their assigned devices securely, installing secure access points (access cards and smart locks), surveillance cameras, and of course, guard the server room!
