The threat of cyber attacks is all over the news, whether it’s a personal attack on an individual or an international network of hackers targeting big business. From a company standpoint, security has never been more important or complex than it is now.
In the past, security meant hiring a guard that you could trust and install some CCTV cameras. Now, it is much more of a technical undertaking and must be updated regularly to deal with the changing nature of the threat landscape. If you’re worried about how to keep your company secure, here are some useful pieces of advice.
Encrypt everything
Whether your data is at rest or in transit, encryption is vital if you want to prevent it from getting into the wrong hands. If a security breach does occur, encryption makes sure that the stolen data is unreadable to everyone except those with the right key.
Encryption is already used by a wide range of businesses where sensitive data is involved, particularly for financial transactions online. If your business holds any sensitive information, make sure it is encrypted. If it isn’t, hackers could hold you to ransom or simply leak your data to the wider world, resulting in huge reputational damage.
Install anti-malware software
Malware is one of the most common causes of a business security breach and infections can come from almost any source, from a spam email to an insecure website. Anti-malware software can bolster your cyber-defenses, preventing viruses and other malicious programs from infiltrating your network. Organizations must make sure, however, that their anti-malware software is continually updated to counter new threats and installed across all company networks and devices – including smartphones.
Ask for help
Don’t feel like you have to handle your company’s entire IT security system on your own, look for outside help. In the past, cloud computing firms were considered something of a weak link but now can offer more advanced security than would be possible with just an in-house team. Outsourcing your IT processes to an external company like Netstar could be one way of improving your business security.
If you are moving to a managed service provider looking to outsource your IT tools in any way, make sure you research your chosen partner thoroughly and arrange some face to face meetings before you commit. Ensure they have the highest security accreditations and are implementing the latest cyber-defense protocols. If you do, then an outsourced IT provider could ease the burden on your in-house staff.
Train your employees
Sometimes the security flaws that end up hampering companies are more human than technical, which is why educating your staff against potential threats is so important. It’s all well and good installing company firewalls and encryption software, but if one of your members of staff leaves their laptop on a train while still logged into company software, it’s not going to be much use. Investing in a short training course centered on cybersecurity, or compiling a company handbook, can be a great way of plugging any defense gaps.