Protect Your Business & Confidential Data from Cybercriminals

Businesses have less reason to worry about burglars and thugs than unknown threat vectors for cybercriminals these days. These criminals could steal merchandise or damage property, whereas cybercriminals are more deceptive, and they could cause harm in sequences of various magnitudes. If sensitive information is stolen or financial accounts are hacked, the loss could overshadow even the most dramatic robbery.

Not only are large global corporations threat vectors for cybercriminals, but they often go after lower-hanging fruit. 79% of businesses have reported being hit by security breaches recently. 

How to Protect Your Business from Cyber Criminals

These steps should be considered to protect your business from cybercriminals:

1. Keeping all software updated and regularly patched

One of the most popular ways hackers gain access to computer systems is via code defects, also known as exploits. Some exploits could remain unknown for years before they are patched, so if we do not update them regularly, we can leave our networks exposed to anyone who has a little bit of technical knowledge. Exploits could affect all software from linux operating systems and browsers to functional software or more.

2. Investing in a reliable VPN

A VPN, also known as a virtual private network, is used to create a secure connection over a less secure network connecting our computer to the internet. A VPN makes us virtually invisible to hackers so they cannot steal our passwords or financial information or track our activities. Many VPN options are available in the market. Before choosing a service, we should try to determine our organization’s needs and carefully analyze which one is the best fit.

3. Educating and training the staff

Even if the latest antivirus and firewall software is used, we are not fully protected if our employees do not follow digital security rules. Over 90% of security violations happen due to hackers defeating the network’s protection. An employee unconsciously opens a door, for example, by using a big password or falling victim to a stamped email. Investing in cutting-edge protection software but sales to educate our staff about types of cybercrime prevention is equivalent to covering a window while leaving the front doors wide open.

4. Divide encrypt and backup sensitive data

Data is the most critical asset of a business today. Protecting it should be the top priority. we should try to put behind as many layers of security as possible and not keep it in a single source divided into segments full stop this approach could be less convenient. Still, hackers will not get access to our entire data Bank in case of a security breach. We should use advanced encryption techniques to ensure that even if the information is stolen, hackers will not be able to use it and make sure our encryption software always remains to the latest update. Finally, we should back up our data regularly. Cloud solutions such as backup as a service and disaster recovery as a service are some of the most efficient ways to ensure this happens.

5. Setting up strict limitations on company computers

We should also ensure that our employees cannot install unauthorized software on company computers without the system administrator’s permission. It will help prevent malware from infecting the company’s network and reduce the time wasted. Cybersecurity codes are no longer treated as an afterthought these days as security breaches could be catastrophic for any business, even those who don’t have a strong digital presence. The only way of defending ourselves is to prepare and follow the advice above.

Do we need Secondary Safeguards?

Even if we have all the essentials in place, we are still exposed to cybercrime. Every business should determine if the cost exceeds the benefits of various secondary security testing services, including:

• Encryption: A procedure that makes it challenging for unapproved individuals to access data by scrambling its contents.
• Two-factor authentication: A security process used for adding a second step in our login procedure, such as entering a PIN sent to a phone on file for our account.
• Data recovery and business continuity plan: Planned plant processes for safeguarding and recovering data and a strategy for allowing our business to continue running if it is impacted by an obstruction such as fire, power outage, or even an IT system crash.
• Employee training: Identifying and avoiding the risk of using our company’s network by training our employees.

Auditing our IT network

Performing regular audits will help us know our network’s strengths and what we should focus on to ensure a secure network. We should try working with a trusted IT provider for data mining what risks matter to us and what we are willing to invest in remediating. If our business is regulated or our clients are subject to any agreement rules, an annual report with consequent remediation should be a part of our IT budget.

The Cyber Threat That Could Destroy our Business If we Aren’t Prepared: Ransomware

Ransomware is the greatest cyber security threat to our business operations. A malware form that inhibits users from accessing their computer devices. Often a computer device may encrypt unique data. Users are forced to pay the perpetrator a ransom to restore entry. Current threats include Ransomware Cryptowall & Cryptolocker

We have three ways to respond to a ransomware attack:

1. Pay the ransom for the processing of data (usually hundreds or thousands of dollars).

2. Never pay nor lose your details

3. Set up a backup (the best option, but it only works if we have previously backed up your data)

The easiest way to ensure that we can recover from an assault on Ransomware

Backup is the best investment for us to recover from the ransomware threat. However, we must back up regularly to several storage sites to be a successful recovery strategy. We will not retrieve any of the data that we lose if we do not back up regularly. We will not recover the information if we are back up to one location only, whether the site has been lost or damaged.

Conclusion

We need to take the following steps to protect our business from cybercriminals. If we prioritize what's important and include secondary steps in our strategy, we will significantly reduce the risk of compromising our business.

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