The need for companies to improve their cybersecurity solutions has never been as great as it is today. More corporations than ever before are stating just how worried they are about increased cybersecurity threats (68% of business leaders, in fact, according to Accenture) – and they do so with good reason. Today’s digital world is one fraught with nefarious parties. The sort looking to exploit and deceive their way into companies’ data stores and financial accounts. The healthcare sector, for instance, which finds itself particularly targeted, purportedly lost $25 billion to hackers, in 2019 alone. It’s not just large corporations that are at risk, either. Smaller businesses and SMEs also reporting frequent data breaches and hacking attempts on their IT systems. It’s clear, then, that all businesses, regardless of size, must take a more proactive approach towards their cybersecurity solutions.
With that in mind, the team here at Impress Solutions, who provide cybersecurity solutions from the likes of Bitdefender and Watchguard, wanted to look at four simple ways in which you can improve your business’ defense against these malicious attacks. These are effective and easy-to-implement measures that businesses simply can’t afford not to do:
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Introducing an MFA system into your company’s cybersecurity arsenal is one of the best things you can do to easily protect your company assets. Even now, when we’re constantly being made aware (in blogs just like this one) of these increased cyber-threats, many companies aren’t properly protecting their files, for example, or they’re using passwords which are non-expiring. Multi-factor authentication provides an easy extra layer of security, that tightens up your security significantly. In fact, according to Microsoft, MFA systems can block 99.9% of account compromise attacks. You don’t need to be a tech-expert to appreciate how beneficial that would be to you and your company.
Traditionally, one of the things that has put companies off implementing MFA systems has been the cost and difficulty-of-use. With Watchguard, however, you’re offered a practical, quick and economical security solution which you can carry with you wherever you go, in the form of a smartphone app.
Education
This may seem like an obvious statement, but given the fact that, in 2019, a staggering 94% of malware was delivered by email (as per Verizon’s Data Breach Investigation Report), it’s clear that enough people are being duped by phishing and spoofing emails that an increased awareness as to the risks would be more than just a little worthwhile. This is by no means an attack on those who are tricked, either; nowadays, the sophistication of many of these fraudulent emails can be really quite remarkable. There are still some key warning signs to look out for, however. The kind that serve as a reliable barometer as to the legitimacy/trustworthiness of a website or email.
Always look at the website URL/email address.
Many people think that, as a means of hacking, ‘typosquatting’ has become obsolete, however this simply isn’t the case. For those that don’t know, typosquatting is where hackers buy a domain name similar to that of a reputable, well-known business or service, and prey on the fact that you’re not going to give it a second glance. Unfortunately, it works far too often, so make sure that the URL, for example, is spelt correctly.
If in doubt, check, check and check again.
It really can’t be stressed enough the importance of taking a few extra seconds just to make sure of the legitimacy of who you’re potentially dealing with. What may seem an inconvenience, or an added hassle, can make all the difference between compromising your company or not.
Educate across the entire company.
Oftentimes, hackers target employees lower down the company chain when they’re trying to gain access to your company. They bank on the fact that more junior staff members will be more likely to be complacent, naive, or both.
So, take the time to educate and implement cyber codes-of-practice within your company, practice good online hygiene – we’ve all been made well-aware of the importance of hygiene, in recent months, and online is no exception. Treat your IT systems as you would your personal hygiene, and protect yourself to the best of your ability.
Security Across The Board
It isn’t the case anymore where the only thing you have to be concerned about, from a cybersecurity perspective, is your computer. The vastly increased connectedness of the digital landscape means there are more ways than ever for cybercriminals to access your systems. Smartphones, for example, present one such backdoor entry. It’s imperative, therefore, that you implement adequate cybersecurity software across all your systems, and not just your computer network. The Internet of Things (the term used for any device, process or environment which can be linked to the internet in some way) is meaning that new chinks in the security armour are perennially opening up, and it’s down to you as a business owner to identify any new pieces of technology which could leave your company’s soft underbelly exposed.
Update Your Systems
An out-of-date IT system is infinitely easier for a hacker to breach than something which is up-to-date. Legacy software systems and protocols are putting corporations at unnecessarily elevated risk of being breached. The more dated your software, the more likely there are to be ‘holes’ which cybercriminals can exploit.
So, if you’d like to find out more about our cybersecurity solutions, then get in touch! Contact Impress Solutions today on 01708 759 760.