How To Improve Cyber Security For Your Business

The security of your business assets and company reputation is something you shouldn’t leave to chance. Even though you can leverage managed IT services for basic cyber security setup, the rise in advanced tools and threat patterns often demands a higher level of proactive thinking. Now that you are interested in learning how to improve the security of your business, we’ll highlight some of the best ways to prevent and combat today’s modern cyber security threats.

Beyond what is known to average business owners, even ill-minded or mistreated insiders can pose a significant threat to the long-term sustainability of your business. Unfortunately, your business will remain vulnerable to unpredictable attacks and potential losses if you are not doing enough of what is required.

When such things happen, you’ll be forced into a tense state of looking for disaster recovery services that may prove more expensive than the cost of prevention.

What Is FOMO In Cyber Security?

FOMO stands for fear of missing out. As humans, most of us were born with the natural tendency to feel fearful in certain situations. This fear often originates from what we see, hear, or other negative feelings. Depending on the nature and severity of the perceived threats, we are often forced to express what psychologists call a fight or flight response. That means we all tend to act on our fears. Real fear drives action.

In cyber security, FOMO points to how criminal hackers exploit the fear of missing out to elicit a specific response from their target victims. As always, the ultimate goal is to deceive, derail and defraud people and the businesses they represent. In the case of cyber attacks that originate from email phishing, these criminals could exploit FOMO to deceive you or your employees into responding by downloading a file or opening an attachment. Their deception often starts with the identity of someone or company you know – a work associate, friend, family member, or service provider.

FOMO in cyber security is powerful because it deceives people into believing they need to act within a short period to avoid missing out on something. It might be a time-bound opportunity to protect yourself or gain something rare.

How To Improve Cyber Security In The Workplace

#1: Use And Update Strong Passwords

The passwords you and your employees use are entry points for criminal hackers. We all know that complex password patterns can long a long way toward protecting your business against cyberattacks. 

But that doesn’t mean you should be using the same sets of passwords for a long time. Moreover, using the same passwords for different networks and applications is not advisable. Unfortunately, failing in this regard may give hackers access to every application you use with the same password.

If you understand how keylogging software works, you should make it a priority to update your passwords very often. Depending on the size of your organization, you may want to invest in enterprise password management solutions.

#2: Build A Firewall

A firewall is a network security system that monitors outgoing and incoming network traffic while permitting or blocking data flow based on predefined IT security protocols. To prevent cyberattacks that may threaten the sustainability and profitability of your business, you need firewall protection. Interestingly, getting the firewall installation and setup may require the involvement of IT security experts in Connecticut or anywhere else, for that matter.

What the system does is detect and prevent intrusion attempts from unknown actors. Assuming you have employees accessing your network resources from different locations as part of the remote work policy, then it is imperative for you to invest in a robust firewall.

#3: Install And Update Antivirus Software

The advancement and proliferation of malware are some of the biggest cyber threats facing big and small businesses. As we have seen from the recent cyber security statistics, these threats are not exclusive to big companies. If you are sitting on the fence and thinking that your business is too small for specific attacks, think again. According to a report published in Forbes Magazine, around 37% of small businesses will be hit by ransomware in 2021.

Unknown to many business owners, outdated antivirus software is one backdoor in cyber security that many criminals exploit to attack and defraud people. The tricky thing is that these people have advanced tools that follow defined patterns to detect outdated antivirus installed across different systems, applications, devices, and networks. Please don’t give them that chance. Always try to install and update antivirus software.

Some of the best antivirus software for business include the following –

• Kaspersky
• Bitdefender
• Avast
• Crowdstrike
• McAfee

#4: Company-Wide Cyber Security Training

Even the most advanced IT expert in your organization may depend on outdated security knowledge. Besides, cybercriminals are constantly advancing their tools and tactics. When you think you know, it might become obsolete today. 

For example, if some of your websites are built on WordPress themes and plugins, the latest exploits may risk your business and employees based on outdated systems. The reason is that WordPress and the entire world of software are known for frequent updates.

Moreover, when your employees are using their mobile devices to access work-related resources from any location or public Wi-fi, there is a need for company-wide security awareness training. Investing in such training programs will help you protect your business against future attacks that may come from criminals with modern tools.

#5: Proactive Monitoring And Security Assessment

Never believe that everything is 100% fixed at once and working well. Especially in the cloud computing world of interdependent platforms, systems, and applications, change happens very fast. 

Consequently, some things become outdated as well. If you are not constantly monitoring, your business might become vulnerable to unpredictable cyber attacks when specific changes happen. That’s why you must set up a system to monitor your IT installations and operations very often.

Proactive monitoring means you don’t have to wait until a threat is received or perceived before you begin to take action. Being proactive in this regard will prevent imminent danger before it happens. Even when you are not in front of a computer or mobile device screen, a proper monitoring system will send you automatic alerts immediately when inevitable intrusions begin to happen.

When To Hire Cyber Security Experts For Your Company

The need for cyber security professionals often varies from one context to the other. If you are exploring cyber security services on behalf of your company for the first time, you might be wondering when exactly I need to hire experienced professionals. Below are some scenarios that often warrant hiring IT security experts or consulting companies to protect your company.

During And After Cyber Attack – Some people and their companies often wait until an attack happens before they begin to react in a tense state of hysteria. When such things happen, you’ll have no better option than to start looking for cyber security experts and disaster recovery services.

After Perceiving A Threat – When you or your employees perceive some threats or cybercrime attempts, there won’t be any need to wait and waste time in bureaucratic protocols. That’s when you need to take prompt action to prevent incidents like data loss, reputational damage, or business process disruption. Hiring an IT expert will help your company analyze the threat, its source, and the best preventive measures.

When Your Company Needs Security Assessment – Again, you don’t have to wait for an attack or some threats to appear fully before you start taking action. An IT security company will help you conduct a full assessment to detect potential loopholes and potential losses that may arise from them. Moreover, experienced experts in this area of managed IT services will help your company implement constant monitoring and intrusion detection systems.

The Key Components of A Cyber Security Improvement Plan

• Threat assessment and purpose
• Audience and scope
• Incident response and disaster recovery plan
• Data classification and operation
• Authority and access control policy
• Security awareness and maintenance behavior
• Rights, duties, and responsibilities of personnel

Conclusion

The number and level of potential cyber security threats your business faces now are probably unknown to you. Unfortunately, reading a single piece of content might not be enough for you to do what is required to ensure maximum protection of your business, assets, and reputation.

However, improving your cyber security in the workplace requires progressing increment of practical knowledge beyond what you know now. For one thing, the pace of change in this field is faster than most realize. That’s why some IT security knowledge, tools, and tactics often become obsolete over time. 

And that’s also why you should consider investing in consistent cyber security improvement beyond knowledge acquisition. As noted earlier, taking it further instead of waiting may require the engagement of a reputable IT security services company So Contact Computronix Today.