[BreachExchange] Tech: Safe, Secure, Successful: How To Protect Your Business From Cyber Attacks

[Audrey McNeil]

http://theinscribermag.com/safe-secure-successful-protect-business-cyber-
attacks/


The threat of cyber attacks is all over the news, whether it’s a personal
attack on an individual or an international network of hackers targeting
big business. From a company standpoint, security has never been more
important or complex than it is now.

In the past, security meant hiring a guard that you could trust and install
some CCTV cameras. Now, it is much more of a technical undertaking and must
be updated regularly to deal with the changing nature of the threat
landscape. If you’re worried about how to keep your company secure, here
are some useful pieces of advice.

Encrypt everything

Whether your data is at rest or in transit, encryption is vital if you want
to prevent it from getting into the wrong hands. If a security breach does
occur, encryption makes sure that the stolen data is unreadable to everyone
except those with the right key.

Encryption is already used by a wide range of businesses where sensitive
data is involved, particularly for financial transactions online. If your
business holds any sensitive information, make sure it is encrypted. If it
isn’t, hackers could hold you to ransom or simply leak your data to the
wider world, resulting in huge reputational damage.

Install anti-malware software

Malware is one of the most common causes of a business security breach and
infections can come from almost any source, from a spamemail to an insecure
website. Anti-malware software can bolster your cyber-defenses, preventing
viruses and other malicious programs from infiltrating your network.
Organizations must make sure, however, that their anti-malware software is
continually updated to counter new threats and installed across all company
networks and devices – including smartphones.

Ask for help

Don’t feel like you have to handle your company’s entire IT security system
on your own, look for outside help. In the past, cloud computing firms were
considered something of a weak link but now can offer more advanced
security than would be possible with just an in-house team. Outsourcing
your IT processes to an external company like Netstar could be one way of
improving your business security.

If you are moving to a managed service provider looking to outsource your
IT tools in any way, make sure you research your chosen partner thoroughly
and arrange some face to face meetings before you commit. Ensure they have
the highest security accreditations and are implementing the latest
cyber-defense protocols. If you do, then an outsourced IT provider could
ease the burden on your in-house staff.

Train your employees

Sometimes the security flaws that end up hampering companies are more human
than technical, which is why educating your staff against potential threats
is so important. It’s all well and good installing company firewalls and
encryption software, but if one of your members of staff leaves their
laptop on a train while still logged into company software, it’s not going
to be much use. Investing in a short training course centered on
cybersecurity, or compiling a company handbook, can be a great way of
plugging any defense gaps.
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