While the world is evolving to be a better place, it is far from perfect. In recent times there have been 3 major cyber security breaches in multiple countries affecting thousands of organizations and individuals. The latest cyber security threat locks up computers and brings production to a standstill. As a result, the companies don’t just lose out on a lot of work hours but also have to spend a lots of money in either paying the ransom or trying to get rid of the threat themselves.
After the three major breaches in the cyber security world, one thing definitely stands out. Every company big or small can be infiltrated and therefore needs to make sure their computers and systems are up to the mark. Here’s how you can make your company cybersecure.
1. Update your Firewal
It seems to be the most obvious answer to such an important question but it is the first step in securing your systems and computers. A good firewall is the front line of your army. If the front line is weak, the entire army won’t be able to face the opposition. Thereby it is paramount to have an updated firewall that covers all forms of attacks, from the regular worms to ransomware attacks.
2. Cyber fire drills
Just like fire drills for extreme situations in real life, make sure employees know the procedure to be followed while facing a cyber crisis. Conducting seminars to educate all employees and not just the IT team about the increasing risks of cyber security and how to recognize files that might be carrying malicious content will help curb the spread of the malware, if not stop it. A lot of these threats depend on people opening random files which are malicious and spread to connected devices. Companies can also conduct dry runs by sending random files without malware to random employees to check if the tips are helping or if additional help is required.
3. Storage
Store only the extremely important information and purge other irrelevant data. It is important to clear systems with records and data that are no longer relevant to the company and will not be of any use later. Storing a vast amount of customer Ids or customer information will lead to a bigger breach and a bigger ransom payment.
4. Understand and heed the evolving risks
Maintain an IT team that is up to date with the evolving risks and can be depended upon when facing a cyber issue. A team of dedicated employees who are capable of tackling all forms of threats includes people having a deep and complete knowledge about such issues. A lot of these threats have evolved over time and will keep on evolving over time, the IT team will have to keep up with with the evolution.
5. Cybersecure Company Culture
It is always better to be proactive than reactive. Ingrain cyber security in the company policy to let even new employees know what needs to be done in a case of a hijack. It is a proactive way to stay ahead of malicious content and make employees the gatekeepers of your company information. Develop a security protocol and make it a part and parcel of your orientation program.
Two step authentication, strong passwords, security questions, safe practices and regular verification will add another layer of protection for all of your company information.
If you or your company uses any other form of protection against cyber attacks let us know in the comments below. You can also write to us at [email protected]
