Data breaches have become a common occurrence in, not only small enterprises but also large corporations. Twitter and E- bay are some of the renowned companies who fell prey to notorious hackers when they broke their IT infrastructure, gaining access to sensitive client information.
Hiccups in the provision of security are the number one cause of cybersecurity attacks. The worst thing is that, as a result of technological advancements in the IT sector, hackers are devising better ways to gain access to clients’ and companies’ sensitive information. Considering that this trend is only getting worse, there is a need for companies to protect their data by beefing up their security.
In this article, we will look at how companies can safeguard themselves against cybersecurity attacks.
Let us dive into details.
- Conduct cybersecurity audits
You never know how prepared you are until you face a possible data breach. Considering that an actual attack can cost a company more than a couple of hundred dollars, being sure how well your security protocols run is the first step to minimizing the risk of a cyber attack. For this reason, industry experts came up with a compromise assessment that allows third-party companies to run security tests on a company to see how vulnerable they are.
Running cybersecurity audits comes with its fair share of advantages. They allow companies to understand how compliant their security programs are. They are instrumental in identifying gaps in the security system, also providing businesses with possible fixes. Besides, during the assessment, the auditors will look at each of the possible threats, determining the extent of the damage it would cause if it were to happen. This is done by looking at previous similar attacks and weighing in on the consequences it had at the time. The team will then look at the previous impact and see how badly it may impact your business in current times.
- Limit access to sensitive company data
The importance of limiting the information your company employees have is a great step to minimizing the chances of a breach.
Take an example of July 15, 2020, Twitter cybersecurity attack that saw hackers make away with approximately $110,000 worth of bitcoins. Investigations revealed that it was a social engineering attack orchestrated through unsuspecting twitter employees. The scam is only one of the many cybersecurity threats that resulted from employee negligence and ignorance.
To minimize the likelihood of being a victim of such attacks, limit employee access to sensitive company and client data. Employees should only know information that helps them navigate tasks effectively; no more than that. Additionally, every time an employee terminates their contract or is released, the company should take immediate protective action by changing entry codes to company information and collecting keys and access badges.
- Data encryption
Data encryption is one of the most effective ways to secure company data. Companies must encrypt client, financial, and other sensitive information if they are to protect the company from possible cybersecurity attacks.
The reason why security experts encourage data encryption is that it keeps data safe even after an attack. Data encryption is hard to hack. As such, once they gain access to the information, these unscrupulous individuals may have ‘useless’ information; data they cannot use.
- Regular software updates
We are not only talking about updating your anti-malware application.
No.
It is crucial for businesses to regularly update all their applications. Software companies release updates to improve the functionality of an application. Updates are also a way of fixing bugs in software applications. By not making a habit of regularly updating software, earlier versions may be a weak point where hackers can quickly gain access to company data, causing unfathomable damage to the company.
- Install firewall and antivirus software
Firewalls are meant to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic into a computer. Packet filtering is a feature that blocks potential threats and restricts access to inappropriate websites that may contain malware.
To ensure you protect your business from an attack, ensure you install a firewall. Encourage your remote employees to make use of virtual private networks.
Apart from firewalls, ensure that every computer and other technological device has antivirus software installed. Schedule regular scans. Besides, intrusion software will help detect potential threats before wreaking havoc on your computer network.
As you look for the best firewall or anti-malware program, pick one that is specifically designed to handle the latest threats.
- Have a disaster recovery plan
Disaster recovery is a practice that involves the use of various resources and tools to recover from a hack. Having a well-laid-out disaster recovery plan allows a company to act fast in case of an unprecedented security attack.
The objective of a disaster recovery plan is to gain insight into the time it takes to restore normal company operations after the disruption of an attack. During the duration in which the data is lost, the recovery plan also looks to minimize the negative impact the incident may have on the company.
For these reasons, a business owner needs to always have a disaster recovery plan and test it regularly to ensure data backup will be swift with minimal damage in the worst-case scenario.
- Employee training in best cybersecurity practices
Despite being in the digital era, it is not uncommon to encounter employees who are not computer-savvy. These individuals only understand basic computer operations; less than the average computer literate. To seal all the loopholes that may attract hackers, it is essential to train your employees on the best cybersecurity practices.
Phishing scams are one of the most popular hacking techniques that are used to trick employees into unknowingly compromising the security of a company. Educate your employees on how to detect impending attacks and protect themselves. Enlighten them on the possible tricks used by these unscrupulous individuals to get access to client data and other sensitive company information.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity attacks are on the rise and are not expected to die down anytime soon. As such, companies need to implement the strategies mentioned above to ensure their businesses remain safe.
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