Nowadays, most businesses have a digital presence. Unfortunately, in the digital age, cyber-attacks are a real threat. A cyber attack can be used to compromise your system utilizing malicious codes, it can be used to steal data or leak data. Here are some easy ways to reduce cyber threats.
Install a Firewall
One of the most basic cybersecurity recommendations is to put your network behind a firewall. A firewall analyzes incoming traffic and can filter traffic that comes from a suspicious source. Essentially, your network has an entry point and the firewall protects it. Some firewalls are software, which can be installed on individual computers to regulate the traffic or you can have a physical firewall that is installed between your network and the gateway to protect the entire network.
Control User Access
If you want to protect your system, you have to be able to control user access. Only trustworthy people should be able to access your system. If someone were to enter your office and plug a USB drive into your computer, he or she could potentially download infected files onto your computer. Then, he or she could access your entire network or cause it to break down. This would be a physical cyber-attack.
Make sure you have physical security too. You do not want anyone to walk into your company and use the computers. Security should be a must-have, regardless of your company, but it doesn’t only help prevent theft, it can prevent someone from attacking your network.
Create Employee Accounts
Personal employee accounts have several different benefits. On one hand, it’s a lot more convenient for your employees if they have their logins and preferences saved to their computers. In addition to usability, you also have more security when each employee has his or her log-in. If you have multiple users using the same credentials, it is easy for someone to hack into the applications. There are fewer attack fronts when everyone has their account. Additionally, when you have separate logins on a computer, it can be easier for an IT company in Austin, Texas to track down a person if something suspicious happens on one of your computers.
In addition to employee accounts, make sure that all of your employees are trained in cybersecurity. Sometimes, employees can infect a system unintentionally. For instance, a staff member may open up a phishing email by accident. Teach your employees how to recognize suspicious emails. Remind employees that they should never share their passwords with other people and to remember to log out of the machines when they are finished using them for the day.
Protect Your WiFi
Nowadays, everyone has a device that is capable of getting on the internet. If you have a WiFi network without a password, then anyone can put your network at risk. For example, a guest with an infected mobile device may hook up to your network and then any infection on his or her device will transfer to your network. If you have a WiFi network, then your smartest move would be to restrict access.
Now, you can have a network for guests and a network for employees. On the guest network, you would not store any confidential files. Guests should never have any access to your company’s files, storage appliances, servers or printers.
Use Strong Passwords
Everyone understands the concept of password protection. Nowadays, most people have multiple passwords to remember across a variety of platforms. It is tempting to want to use easy passwords. After all, forgetting a password can be a pain. If you have the same password for everything, however, it is a lot easier for hackers to figure out the password. Once they know the password, they can hack into the entire system and every application. You should have a different password for every individual application. Also, every password should be strong. Do not use real words as passwords. Try to use a series of numbers, letters and symbols.
In addition to having a variety of passwords, teach your staff about the importance of password protection. You should require your employees to have strong passwords too, to log into their accounts. Consider requiring employees to change passwords regularly. This can help prevent someone from gaining access.
If you have to let an employee go, remember to change any passwords that were used by everyone in the company. For instance, if you will want to have the WiFi passwords changed and any other accounts that all staff have access to.
Reducing cyber threats is an absolute must for all businesses. A cyber attack can completely devastate your business. Hackers could have access to personal, financial or business data. If you want to ensure that your network is safe, you need to take appropriate steps to mitigate all risk.
