Are all of your company devices’ operating systems up to date? When was the last time you assessed your servers through rigorous network penetration testing? How well-informed on cyber risks are your newly hired employees?
Over the years, the nature and execution of cybercrime have evolved to alarming rates, while the ease with which we can identify and catch these culprits has sadly not caught up. Companies from well-known corporations to small businesses are continuously under the threat of hackers who just get more skilled and sophisticated with time.
Here are some important measures that will help protect your company from cyber attacks:
The Basics
Standard practices are carried out by most companies as part of their cyber risk management protocol. This includes strong passwords, multi-factor authentications, regularly updated software and operating systems, strict access policies, encrypting and backing up of sensitive company data, and tools like antivirus software and firewalls. Make sure that all your basics are covered and that everything on the list is the latest version.
Opt for the most modern software options appropriate for the nature of your business. This will make it harder for unwanted visitors to make a breach and will also make sure your first line of defense is as new as any of the emerging cyber threats as well.
Your Employees
Do not forget your employees; they play a big role in your cyber risk management. Through specific training and awareness activities, educate them about the nature and possibility of cyber threats and what they should do right off the bat once confronted with suspicious activity. Boost their loyalty to the company through incentives and fun events so they can be encouraged to protect the company and its data even without their superiors’ perpetual prompting.
Moreover, don’t make the mistake of overlooking the security of your company’s physical environment. Hackers can get their hands on important data through literally breaking and entering, too, so remind your employees to be attentive to their work stations just as much. This should be taken into consideration especially with employees who work in some kind of a mobile set-up, in which company data is more susceptible to breaches through physical means.
Additional Measures
It will be wise to regularly conduct assessments like penetration testing and vulnerability assessments to identify any weak links and fix them as promptly as possible. These tests help give you a good estimate of the value of the data you want to protect and the expenses you might incur should a breach happen and this data gets compromised in any way. Knowing this will strengthen your risk management system in that it will help you prioritize and focus certain measures on more important aspects of your business.
A reliable, well-disseminated incident response plan also ensures that your company is not immediately totally screwed should a cyberattack succeeds.
Investing in insurance policies against cyberattacks will also be an excellent measure. Not only will it provide extra protection, but the process of getting the insurance will also give you further insight into the level of risk that you’re facing, along with all the potential damages.
While it is true that no enterprise ever stands completely safe from these break-ins, it is important to review the steps you can take to reduce the chances of your company being the next victim of a cybercrime.
