The importance of computer systems and networks to businesses has made cybersecurity protocols crucial to an organization’s safety. According to one study by IBM, the average cost of a data breach can reach up to $4.2 million. This amount is acceptable for large multinational companies but crippling to smaller enterprises.
Aside from the monetary loss a data breach can incur on your company, there is also the priceless loss of trust. Clients and customers can lose faith in your business if you don’t have adequate cybersecurity in place.
Below are 8 ways you can improve your cybersecurity procedures and ensure the safety of your confidential information.
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Upgrade Hardware
You need to have the latest equipment and hardware available if you want to stand a chance against modern cybersecurity threats. This doesn’t mean you need robotic vision systems or laser grids to defend your computers. You just need to ensure your computers have the processing power to run sophisticated defense programs like firewalls and similar countermeasures. Without upgraded hardware, your software systems won’t have the same capabilities. This can mean an easy way in for hackers and malware. Invest in updated hardware and you can employ top-of-the-line cybersecurity.
For example, old computer terminals are not only slower and therefor unlikely to have the capacity to host modern firewalls, they can also be incompatible with other types of cybersecurity.
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Train Employees
Human error and lapses of judgement are one of the major reasons hacking techniques like phishing and Trojan horses get into computer systems. Unless you want a deluge of malware to infiltrate your company computers, you better train your employees.
First, they should be aware of common tactics, such as spear phishing, that cybercriminals employ. This refers to sending tailored emails that look legitimate that have hidden malware on them. Next, they must be able to judge when their computers are behaving oddly and alert your IT department accordingly. Well trained employees are just as effective in protecting your digital assets as a great firewall.
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Employ Multiple Defenses
Malware and cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving. This means that no singular layer or method of defense will prove effective for long against them. To address this fact, your own defenses must be varied. Think of your business’s computers as a castle. The firewall is your first layer of defense, preventing brute force attacks. Antivirus software act as soldiers on the walls of your castle. Regular systems checkups are patrols that sweep the castle checking for intruders.
Such multilayered defenses ensure that even if hackers or malware make it through one type of defense, there are other systems that can keep your system safe.
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Control Access
The more access points there are to your computer system, the more chances there are of hackers and malware infiltrating it. There for, you should do your best to regulate and monitor all access to your computer networks. This means you have to safeguard both physical and digital connections. If you have a business server or a central work computer, you must restrict physical access to it by employing locked doors or even security keypads. Entrance to your business premises, and your computers, must be similarly hard to achieve.
As for your digital access points, a firewall can prevent computer terminals from inadvertently letting unsavory elements inside. However, you should also strictly monitor the sites your employees enter. Even with a firewall in place, untrustworthy sites can be laden with malware. Controlling digital access points can be a very effective first step in safeguarding your information.
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Back Up Your Info
Information is crucial to all business and the loss of something seemingly trivial can be devastating. For example, your client’s contact information isn’t just private information, it’s also your way of contacting them. Losing such information can cost you thousands of dollars but also the trust of your customers. It is imperative that you have redundant copies of all crucial information.
First, you should have a copy of all relevant information on cloud computing platforms. These types of digital storage are among the most secure in the world. Second, you should have a master copy in a designated computer or server with limited access. Finally, consider a backup copy in a computer that isn’t connected online except for updates. This ensures that you have at least one version of the information that is impossible for cybercriminals to access expect physically.
Cybersecurity doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. Your company can secure its digital information and keep your operations safe by practicing common sense and updating yourselves on the latest cybersecurity methods.
