Besides on-premise security, businesses have to be extra careful about cyber threats. Data shows that businesses around the world have suffered massive losses because of hacking attempts, security breaches and data thefts. Recovery is often hard, and it is not just about financial loss alone. Damage to business value and other compliance issues may force a company to shut shop at times. Addressing various security concerns is critical for any company, and in this post, we are sharing the preventive steps that matter.
- Hire ethical hackers. This may seem like an expensive exercise, but always helps. You can run a bug bounty program, and ethical hackers will help you find security flaws and vulnerabilities, for which they will be paid.
- Focus on access rights. Access to every resource, network, and device must be clear and transparent at all times. Many companies have invested in Identity & Access management tools, which help them focus better on sensitive devices and privilege users.
- Update everything. Ensure that all software programs, firmware, and operating systems are updated to the latest version. This is particularly important, because hackers often rely on unpatched versions and security bugs to cause a damage, or infect networks and devices with malware.
- Password protection measures will matter. Are your employees using a password manager? Do they know how to create a strong password? Have you enabled multifactor authentication, where necessary? Are you using the lockout feature to avoid brute force attacks?
- Use firewalls and firebreaks. Placing devices behind firewalls is critical, and where possible, your company should use network segmentation. The latter basically devices a network into subnetworks, so in case there is a breach on one, it wouldn’t impact others.
- Focus on emails. Phishing emails still remain the most serious concern for small businesses, and your employees need to be aware of safe browsing and how to spot such emails. Make sure that devices have antimalware software, and ask employees to report suspicious emails.
- Finally, take backups. If a hacker manages to encrypt data, or there is a security breach, you should be able to restore your network and resources as soon as possible. For that, regular backups are necessary.
Finally, don’t forget to get help where needed. There are companies that can guide and offer advice on cybersecurity measures, and they can also help your company in staying compliant with necessary laws and applicable regulations.
