According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey, around 32% of organisations have experienced some kind of data breach or attack in the past 12 months. This striking number shows that no matter your business’s size, it’s at risk of cyber attacks. Luckily, there are steps you can take to ensure your organisation is protected. If you’re unsure where to start, we’ve created a guide to help you navigate the world of cyber threats.
Why is Cybersecurity so important?
When establishing your business or organisation, cybersecurity may not be a top priority. After all – who would care about a small company selling baby clothes? Or why would anyone try to attack a charity? Unfortunately, no one is immune to cyber-attacks.
Sometimes hackers use access to a company’s network as a stepping stone into networks of other businesses. And if you think that your organisation has nothing valuable to offer, think twice because criminals can take advantage of your:
- Customer credit card information
- Banking details
- Pricing structure
- Customer lists
- Designs
- Other intellectual property
Throughout the last few years, our lives have become much more hybrid. As more people work remotely and choose to do their transactions online, it’s easier for hackers to perform breaches.
Our Tip
Given that 94% of malware is delivered via email, make sure to deploy advanced email security solutions that can detect these potential threats.
Cybersecurity tips for businesses of all sizes
Train your staff
One of the most critical steps in ensuring your business’s safety is training your employees. If your staff members are uneducated, you are leaving your organisation vulnerable to an attack. Unfortunately, many data breaches occur precisely because an insider has given access to the company’s networks.
For this reason, you should establish security practices with each employee you hire. This means coming up with strong passwords, teaching about common fraud practices, and detailing potential penalties for violating these penalties.
Ensure regular software updates
You may be used to the fact that many of your Windows or Windows-based programs are automatically updated. But with some software, like Wi-Fi router’s firmware, the process must be handled manually, so make sure to check. Otherwise, you risk exposing your devices to cyber threats, even without knowing it. This also applies to other devices in your workplace, like scanners and printers.
Remember, software updates are usually provided for three reasons: to offer new features, fix bugs, and improve security.
Invest in antivirus software
Another important step in ensuring your business’s cybersecurity is getting antivirus software. According to statistics, advanced antivirus programs can combat as much as 100% of zero-day attacks, web and email threats, and prevalent malware. It almost seems foolish not to use it to your advantage, right?
When choosing the right antivirus software for yourself, make sure it also includes technology that allows you to clean your devices and reset them to their pre-infected state.
Use the power of cloud
Try to implement cloud services as much as possible! This is especially valuable for smaller businesses because cloud vendors often include built-in security services. Furthermore, your data will be backed up regularly and stored off-site, and experts will monitor for any suspicious action 24/7.
Consequently, this can take some of the pressure off of you while you can focus on tasks that bring you more pleasure.
Do risk assessments
You might think that risk assessment is something only large companies have the resources to carry out. However, it’s as important for smaller and medium-sized businesses, that are prioritising their cybersecurity.
The idea is simple – with risk assessment, you brainstorm all the possible cybersecurity scenarios that might occur within your company. For instance, if you rely on cloud computing, this could help you determine what are the potential threats and what you can do to improve your data safety.
Limit access
Many organisations put in the effort to limit physical access to their data centres and server rooms. That’s great! But you shouldn’t forget about restricting access to your information as well.
Just think about it: Your financial organisation most likely doesn’t need to know all the details behind your manufacturing processes. So, before you give out your sensitive information, figure out which employees and systems really need them. Even one person with malicious intent can do a lot of damage to your business.
Come up with a recovery plan
Most IT professionals agree that it’s not a question of if but when a business will become a victim of a cyber incident. But don’t panic – this is not the end of the world yet. Defence, after all, is the best proactive approach.
So, to ensure your organisation can continue its work even if there’s been an attack, develop a strategic plan with specific steps you will take so you don’t have to figure out the response in crisis mode.
Don’t DIY cybersecurity
New cyber threats emerge every day. To stay protected, your security tools need to keep pace. Of course, if you’re not working in the industry, this can be challenging, especially when you have many different obligations and responsibilities on your list.
For this reason, it’s better to get help from experts – like Ingenious. By managing your IT and cyber security, we will save you time, money, and stress, and that’s all you can wish for, right?
At Ingenious, we work with organisations of all sizes. While the majority of our clients choose to use our managed IT support, we understand it’s not the perfect solution for everyone. So, we’re open to discussing whatever unique needs you have!
Recap
Statistics clearly show that cybersecurity is a legitimate threat to businesses. Just imagine – over 300,000 new pieces of malware are created every day. Yet, many owners still fail to act on that knowledge. Don’t become a part of this number!
If you’d like to learn more about how Ingenious could help your organisation improve its security, reach out to our friendly team.
