Cyber attacks are getting more and more common and are increasing in intensity as well. As companies move operation online, cybercrime is becoming a serious threat that cannot be avoided. If your business is not protected now, the future may have some nasty surprises in store. Learn from the cautionary tale of Sony Entertainment Pictures. The infamous Sony hack happened not because the hackers were particularly sophisticated, but because the cybersecurity was so lacking. Here are several invaluable tips to keep your business safe from common types of cyber attacks:

Have a Password Policy

The first step in devising a cybersecurity policy is coming up with a solid password policy. Some cybercriminals aren’t even hackers. Some are just really good at guessing passwords. Instruct your employees to use random letter and number generators to create passwords. Never reuse old passwords. All passwords in the office must be reset at least every three months. Teach employees how to use strong passwords. If possible, set up two-step authentication for accessing accounts. Once the password policy is in place, your office network will be significantly better off than it is right now.

Train IT Employees Properly

Cybersecurity is closely related to managing IT assets smartly. Therefore, offer your IT employees an IT asset management course. The course does not cover cybersecurity directly. However, it trains employees in a way to eliminate risks such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies.

Install Antivirus Software and Scripts

Installing antivirus software is a given at most companies. However, do choose the antivirus software smartly. Make sure the program you use is not blacklisted anywhere. Use a recommended malware protection program for businesses. Ask colleagues and partners about what virus software they are using in their companies. Do your research and pay for an industry-grade package and don’t download free programs off the internet.

Ban Employee Owned External Storage Devices

The external storage devices, like flash drives, that employees bring to work are a serious security threat. This is not to say that employees might knowingly install malicious code into the company network or steal data. It’s possible that an infected home computer or a similar device could infect an office computer as well. And once a single computer is affected, the malware will spread through the network. When external storage devices are used between multiple computers and devices, it poses a serious risk of breach for an internal network.

Control User Published Content on Websites

Most malware comes from the internet. Therefore, your company’s website and the emailing system should be secured as much as possible. There are several steps you can take to secure the website, such as installing virus scanning scripts. However, it’s best to target the riskiest content on websites, the ones that outsiders publish to the web. It’s common for many businesses to invest in user published content to drive engagement. Such content could contain malicious code that could result in a cyber attack. Therefore, carefully monitor and restrict what content users can publish on the business websites.

Cybercrime is a threat that is always evolving. Some of the protection measures you use today may not deter an attack tomorrow. Therefore, do hire professionals to diagnose your internal network on a monthly basis. Constant monitoring and awareness are necessary to deter cyber attacks.

 

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