The Dos and Don’ts of Cyber Security Steps to Protect Your Business

Business safety is no more something good to have; it is a necessity. In today’s world businesses need to acquire an increased level of awareness of safety for the sake of protecting themselves from cyber-attacks.

Securing your business has much to do with network security best practices, firewalls, antivirus software, and more. But frequently, keeping your business secure from cyber-attacks has a lot to do with supplying employees with information and tools that they need to aid in keeping your business shielded.

Dos

Here are a few Dos that you must follow to increase safety:

1. Back up the business’s website and data

This will help you regain any sort of information you lose if you encounter a cyber incident or if you have issues with your computer. You should back up your essential information and data regularly. Luckily, backing up will generally not cost much and is simple to do. You can use numerous back-up methods to guarantee the safety of your major files.

A reliable back-up system includes:

  • Day-to-day gradual back-ups to a portable appliance or an external device like a USB stick.
  • Server back-ups at the end of the week.
  • Once every three months server back-ups.
  • Annual server back-ups.

2. Secure your network and devices

You must make sure that you update your software. Updates might contain essential security upgrades for current attacks and viruses. Most of the updates permit you to plan these updates following your business hours or maybe some other convenient time. Updates mend serious security defects, so you must never overlook update prompts.

  • Install safety software

Installation of safety software on business computers and devices help prevent infection. You need to make sure that the software includes anti-spyware, anti-virus, and anti-spam filters. Viruses or malware can infect your laptops, computers, and mobile devices.

  • Switch on your spam filters

You can use spam filters to lessen the amount of phishing and spam e-mails that your business obtain. The application of a spam filter will help decrease the chance of your employees or you opening a dishonest or spam e-mail by accident.

3. Ensure the use of two-factor authentication

It is a two-step verification safety process that you will have to provide before you can enter into your account. The two different authentication factors are used to find out who you are, for instance, a code sent to your mobile or your password or your fingerprint.

This two-factor authentication (2FA) process works as an extra sheet of security making it more difficult for the attackers to get access to your online accounts or device. The password can provide only a single form of protection. In today’s world, the ideal protection needs three things – something that you know (password), something that you have (a device), and something that is “you” (a fingerprint). The “you factor” kind of protection is provided by more and more devices.

4. Become a confined user

Most computers automatically regard you as an “administrator”, which means that you can virtually do anything to the computer, even removing and installing software. Most of the cyber attacks depend on you performing something or the other to allow bad guys in. That “something” can be as simple as visiting a website that has become infected with an exploit so the moment you visit that site, the exploit starts to work thus, infecting your computer. However, if you are not the computer’s administrator, the exploit or malware won’t work. The reason behind this is that only the administrator has the right to make changes in your system’s software. Therefore, if you handle your computer as a confined user, the bad guys will have restricted access to your device and even lesser ability to make changes.

5. Manage your passwords

Usage of strong passwords can prevent access to your devices which hold essential business information. Having a password like “123456” or even worse will leave you open to being hacked. If you use the identical password everywhere and for everything, and if someone grasps it, all the accounts of yours could be compromised. To make stuff inconvenient for bad guys, you must use passwords of at least 12 to 15 characters, you can also use lowercase and capital letters, symbols, and numbers wherever allowed. You have to create a very different, hard-to-remember, and long password.

6. Train your staff- Put schemes in place to direct your staff

The staff of yours is your business’s most essential and final line of defense. It is thus, very important for you to make sure that your staff knows all about the threats which they might face online and the major part they play to keep your business secure.

You can educate them about their computer responsibilities, their network use, and access, online practices, which are acceptable when using email and so, maintenance of good passwords, and reporting skeptical online threats. A cybersecurity scheme will help your staff understand what is allowable when they share or use:

  • data
  • emails
  • computers and devices
  • internet sites

It is also essential to have a powerful social media policy. This would set out what kind of business data your employees can share online.

Don’ts

Here are a few Don’ts which you probably are doing and must stop to increase security:

1. Don’t ignore your customers’ safety

You need to keep your customers’ data safe. If you misplace their data it will adversely affect your business and reputation and you might also face legal consequences. 

2. Don’t believe anyone

You must always think before you act. Bad guys can use your informality with family, friends, or business to let your guard down or put you at ease. You may receive an email from a relative or friend with a document attached to it or with a link in it. Before clicking on any attachment or link, just ask yourself whether you were looking forward to this email. People fall victim to this form of phishing every day.

3. Don’t become satisfied with cyber safety

You must always assume that you are continually under attack from exterior threats. Never let your shield down.

4. Don’t compromise with “your” safety

Consider cybersecurity to protect your business. The cost of meeting with a cyber attack might be much more than just strengthening security, repairing databases, or replacing laptops. Cyber liability security cover can aid your business with the costs of retrieving from an attack.

5. Other don’t for that will help you protect your business are

  • Don’t install or download programs without the consent or knowledge of IT.
  • Don’t share or reuse your passwords.
  • Don’t plug in unspecified storage devices to organization computers.

Synopsis

These are the top dos and don’ts of cybersecurity measures that you must implement to keep your business and your assets safe from security threats.

Mamta Sharma

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