The growing number of users, devices, and software requesting access to your confidential information has necessitated the need to protect personal data from cyberattacks. Their goal can be deception, destruction, or theft of data. Do you know how to properly secure your personal information?
Every day, approximately 30.000 websites are attacked by hackers. According to the report, 64% of businesses worldwide have experienced at least one type of cyberattack. Furthermore, new attacks occur every 39 seconds. Learning the best cybersecurity practices has become a priority for those who want to keep their data protected. Let’s take a look at how you can accomplish this.
What Are Good Cybersecurity Practices?
Cybersecurity is the protection of critical systems and sensitive information from digital attacks by attackers. Its measures are aimed at combating threats to systems and applications both inside and outside the company. Companies that fail to protect their employees’ and users’ data risk damaging their reputation and losing not only important data but also customers.
If you work on research or create unique content, you understand the importance of keeping all information private and secure. In particular, if you frequently seek assistance from Trust My Paper and make investments. Any hacker attack could result in data and financial losses, as well as the need to restart everything from scratch.
According to statistics, more than half of all cyber-crimes are committed against small and medium-sized businesses, and 60% of them cease operations within six months of becoming victims of data breaches or hacking. Cyberattacks cause far more damage than natural disasters in a single year and may be more profitable for criminals than the global trade in all major illegal resources combined.
As a result, it is critical to take timely action to save time and effort. Some rules can help you avoid many problems.
1. Keep Your Cybersecurity Policies Up to Date and Be Wary
Although most people work remotely, companies have yet to update their corporate cybersecurity policies to reflect this change. Examine your employee network and create new policies to protect your information.
Use antivirus software to scan all email attachments. Be wary of sites with invalid certificates, as the information entered on them can intercepted by attackers. When entering credentials on websites and working with online payments, use extreme caution.
Do not click on links to unfamiliar or suspicious websites, especially if the browser warns you of risk. Even if the advertised company or product is familiar to you, avoid clicking on pop-up links. Do not download files from suspicious websites or other unknown sources.
2. Make the Most of Cloud Applications
There are numerous reasons to use enterprise cloud applications for the hybrid workforce. Because your employees will be working both in and out of the office, cloud technology provides them with seamless access to work regardless of location and greatly improves project cooperation.
Furthermore, cloud technologies will safeguard your company’s data with automated backups and world-class security measures. Cloud app developers are typically large corporations. They conduct extensive research and invest in securing their products for your company’s use and efficiency.
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3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication and Use a VPN
Two-factor authentication adds another layer of security to your employee accounts. It is accomplished by verifying an employee’s identity before allowing him to access his account. It usually includes an automatic method, in which an employee receives a confirmation code on his smartphone via text message.
When your employees work remotely, you run the risk of losing sensitive data. Employees typically work from many locations and use public Wi-Fi connections. For example, in a local cafe or library. Such public connections are unprotected.
This fact means that hackers can intercept traffic going to devices. It is critical to use a virtual private network (VPN) to protect your remote employees who work on public Wi-Fi networks. It encrypts all Internet traffic and ensures that data sent to the company’s internal networks are safe from cyber-criminals.
4. Use Competent Password Management
The use of the same irreplaceable passwords is a serious security risk. However, many businesses do not implement processes to ensure that employees effectively manage their passwords. According to one study, 45% of respondents do not consider password reuse to be a significant disadvantage.
Furthermore, 31% use the same password for personal and “confidential” accounts. As a result, the risk of losing important data increases significantly, because a hacker with only one password can easily gain access to all your resources and profiles.
Passwords should be changed regularly. Limit the use of the same passwords for up to 90 days. Another effective solution, in this case, is the use of password managers like Lastpass. They help to create strong passwords and prevent them from being reused across multiple accounts. Furthermore, you can manage these passwords without remembering them, and you can frequently change them to improve the company’s security.
5. Update Your Operating System and Software
Developers update operating systems and software regularly to address bugs and create new patches to address any vulnerabilities discovered. Without regular updates, your operating system and software will have numerous vulnerabilities through which hackers can penetrate and breach your company’s security. You can protect your organization from cybersecurity threats by encouraging employees to update their operating systems, software, and hardware as new versions become available.
6. Examine the Vulnerability of Working Devices for Hybrid or Remote Work
Check the enterprise devices used by remote employees at your IT service regularly to ensure they are operational and have the latest patches installed. Check corporate devices for vulnerabilities to cyberattacks as well. Analyze the results and make the necessary changes to make them safer.
7. Limit Employee Data Access
If remote employees know they only have a limited amount of data to work with, they are less likely to use their company’s devices for personal purposes. They may be less likely to access unsecured areas on an enterprise device, reducing their exposure to security threats.
8. Educate All Employees
Implementing the tools and technologies required to protect your organization is a good thing, but your employees are the first line of defense against cyber threats. That is why one of the most important ways to keep your company safe is to educate employees about security and best practices. These pieces of training should include:
- Good password hygiene;
- Knowledge of the best practices for using the Internet (for example, downloading files and storing data);
- Understanding how to counter phishing attacks, etc.
Your employees, especially those who work from home, should be actively involved in your organization’s cybersecurity strategy.
Conclusion
Cyber-crime is one of the most serious threats in today’s world. It is impossible to fully protect oneself against it. People cannot prevent hackers from sending phishing emails.
They can, however, protect themselves by learning the proper algorithms of action if potentially dangerous letters or actions are sent their way. Remember that responsibility for your digital security often falls on your shoulders. That is why organizations must invest in technology and other solutions to prevent successful phishing attacks.
Punit