Did you know that the average cost of a cyberattack for a small business is $7.68 million? Coupled with the fact that in recent years, 88 percent of organizations across the globe reported phishing attempts.
The fact that small businesses are most likely to be targeted by cybercriminals, and it’s easy to see why there has never been a bigger need ramp up your cybersecurity.
Increasing Cybersecurity to Thwart Attacks
Employee Training
It is critical to train employees to identify the warning signs of a cyber attack: how to keep risks low, and to establish a system for reporting signs of an attack. Phishing is one of the most common cybersecurity threats because people can’t resist clicking on intriguing emails—even when they look too good to be true.
It’s vital to train your employees on what to look for, how to report suspicious activity, and stay vigilant against attacks. Educating employees on security threats is not a one-and-done scenario.
Cybersecurity training should happen regularly because cyber threats and attacks are constantly changing, and if your employees aren’t aware of the latest information, they won’t be effective at ensuring company data stays safe.
Enforce Password Policies
Passwords have to be updated regularly, and you should never reuse, recycle, or share a password, because hackers can hack simple passwords in no time.
In fact, a password-cracking expert recently revealed a program that could work around any eight-character password. This is why all passwords should be more than eight characters and much more complicated than your last name or birthday.
Keep Your Software Updated
A water treatment plant was recently hacked in Florida. The hacker got in via a remote access software platform that had been dormant for months. The water treatment plant had not used the software for six months, but it remained on the system. This is the prime example of why you must keep your software updated and properly remove any programs you are no longer using.
It may sound crazy to think that a company would leave software dormant or un-updated for such a long time, but sadly, it’s all too common. In fact, a recent study showed that 60 percent of organized security breaches targeted vulnerabilities that were at least ten years old.
As new threats and viruses pop up, software companies send out patches and other ways to protect yourself. If you don’t update your software, your systems are left vulnerable to cybercrime.
Create a System Security Plan (SSP)
An SSP is a summary of all security practices in place at your organization to keep your data secure. The SSP should identify features like hardware, software, training methods, security measures, and incident-response plans.
It should also include details on how to limit access to authorized users and ensure employees practice secure habits and respond appropriately in the event of a security breach.
Use an MSP
Staying up to date with the latest developments in cybersecurity, software updates, and viruses can be an overwhelming task. The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone.
When you partner with a managed services provider or MSP, you can rest easy knowing they are taking care of monitoring, managing, patching, and updating your IT infrastructure to keep your data secure.
Here’s what you can count on an MSP to take care of for you:
- IT and cybersecurity system maintenance
- Installing office apps
- Purchasing corporate PCs and other IT-related hardware
- Managing cybersecurity protection by installing security solutions, devices, and infrastructure
- Checking for software/device updates and ensuring that protection is always active.
