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Top 10 Ways to Keep your Business Safe from Cyber Threats

The world is moving towards digitalization, and as reliable it sounds, it does not have enough security due to an increase in the number of cyberattacks. Yes, cyber threat is a real thing. According to recent research, cyber threats to businesses rose from 11% to 43% in just four years.

Let us bust the myth that not only big international businesses are exposed to cyber threats but small and start-up businesses too. Doesn’t the thought of cyberattacks frighten you? If it does then, you shouldn’t be afraid anymore because we’ve got your back. By following some adversary techniques and globally accessible knowledge like MITRE ATT& Framework, you can save your business from such cyberattacks. For more information, click here.

In addition to that, we have gathered the top 10 ways in this post that can ensure your business security from all types of cyber threats. So without further due let’s get straight to the list.

Source:roberthalf.com.hk

1. Handle internal threats

Not all cyber threats come from an external source. Sometimes employees, within the organization, tend to take advantage of confidential information in exchange for monetary benefits. Make sure you only share such sensitive information with few and trustworthy employees.

2. Get cybersecurity insurance

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To keep ahead from hackers, you need someone with the same level of excellence who can fail the cyber-attacks’ attempts. For this, you should get cybersecurity insurance for your company as these companies consist of professionals that can guide really better and minimize the risks. They have tools like MITRE ATT&CK Framework, which works with the specific threat models that can assist your company’s cybersecurity, so your company doesn’t have to bear the cost of losing the critical date.

3. Avoid Phishing Attacks

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Well, as mentioned by name, it is the most common practice and mistake done by the employees of the companies. Cybercriminals trick people into providing their personal and company credentials. They take full advantage of this and hack the systems. Be aware of such activities and always ask for validation first. In this way, you reduce the chances of cyber-attacks.

4. Increase Awareness

Lack of awareness can be problematic as well. Some threats are like viruses that are petite at the start, but due to the negligence of employees, it can spread. It is better to train your employees. Provide workshops to educate them about threats. That might be helpful as employees will be able to track threats in initial stages and prevent them from spreading.

5. Invest in a cybersecurity system

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Ransomware is the most common reason for cybercriminals to hack your systems in exchange for ransom money. That can be lose-lose situation where you lose a tremendous amount of money, plus, your confidential data is exposed. It is wise to protect your system with maximum security. One of the best ways to reduce the chances of cyber-threats is by investing in your cybersecurity system. It is incredibly critical.

6. Manage Passwords and Sharing

People usually use passwords, which they can remember easily, like their birthdays, names of their loved ones, or nicknames. That is not a safe approach for the business’ safety as these passwords are very easy to guess. Hackers usually research about you and your company before diving in. Make sure all your passwords are an amalgamation of numbers and letters, and it must be a bit complicated. With that, it is also important to discourage employees from passwords sharing by strict policies. As this can raise security threats of your business. You can also use some protocols, like temporary passwords. When new hires or contractors come to your company, they are not aware of the policies and security risks. For that, you can create temporary passwords to log in as guests.

7. Use two-factor authentication and facial recognition to log into systems

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Two-factor authentication and facial recognition is the best way to maximize the security of your company. Most e-commerce websites and mobile Apps use this method for the verification of the user’s identity. It works like that; the user receives a code number on his mobile from by text or email and enters it along the passwords to access it. Your business can adopt this method too. It might be a temporary cost to your business, but trust me, it’s totally worth it and provide your company with the best security in the long term.

8. Create daily backups and save them separately

After authentication, creating daily backups is another crucial way to protect your business against the cyber-threats. As in most cases, ransomware hackers lock the companies’ systems and ask for the ransom money to release the data. In the mentioned scenario, you can stay one step ahead of them by backing up the data regularly and store it separately.

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9. Where should you save the data separately?

We suggest you save the data on the cloud by doing that so your business can save both time and money. It will not cost you much as buying the equipment separately to backup data on a regular basis. All you need to do is get a minimal cost subscription from the most reputable and reliable company.

10. Set up Web and Email Filters

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The web and Email filter can prevent some cyber-attacks in the employees’ inboxes. It is an excellent way to detect fishy activates in web browsers and emails. You can restrict employees from the access of some risky websites that can carry malware virus. By doing this, you can reduce the risks of cyber-attacks as it only takes one wrong move to cause destruction. If only one of your employee visits the wrong website, this can put your business on stake. With that, the protection of encryption data is also important. The employees should not be allowed to use their Emails to send or receive the key or passwords for the encrypted documents. Use some other method for that.

  • Dispose of Old Computers & Media Safely

It is good to update your hardware systems with security software. As the outdated systems can enhance the risk of cyber-threat and affect your business performance too. Updating the computer systems is a much-needed investment that your business should make as it provides the primary support to your security software.

BUT

While updating to new computers, it is an important step to wipe out all the valuable data from the systems. You should not leave any sensitive data related to you or your business on the flash drives or computers. After removing the data, you can destroy the systems of sale them. With the system data, it is also important not to leave any sensitive paper-based information because this information can be used against your business by hackers.

Source:entrepreneur.com

Final Words

It’s always better to be safe than sorry. The hackers are becoming advanced with each passing day. They are always working to find a new way to infiltrate your business and steal sensitive data. Now that we’ve covered the best ways to protect your business from the cyber threats. Your best bet is to start following these steps right away and secure your business from the cyber-attacks.

Peter is a freelance writer with more than eight years of experience covering topics in politics. He was one of the guys that were here when the foreignspolicyi.org started.