When you take your business online, you are offered a wide range of benefits; however, it also increases the risk of scams and cyber-attacks. Since the pandemic in 2020, there have been an extensive number of new challenges for businesses.
Restrictions that were set by the government forced employees to work from home. In response, technology and the way of doing business have become even more digitalized. Although there is an increase in the need for technology, businesses still are not taking the right precautions to create a cyber-safe remote working environment.
Continue reading to learn how your business can protect itself against cyberattacks.
Secure Your Devices And Data
A simple way to protect your business and employees from cyberattacks is by ensuring your devices and data are secure. Make sure you are regularly updating your operating system and security software. This will allow for necessary security upgrades to be installed to ensure there are no viruses.
If you don’t already have security software within your technology, implement it immediately. This will help prevent any viruses and phishing attempts. Be sure to include anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-spam filters. Remember, malware or viruses can infect all computers, laptops, and mobile devices throughout your entire business.
Ensure You Use Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication is an approach to secure data and applications where a system requires a user to present a combination of two or more credentials to verify a user’s identity or log in. Utilizing this tool in your business adds an additional layer of security making it more challenging for hackers to gain access to your devices and online accounts.
Whether you have one employee or thousands, every business should utilize multi-factor authentication. Amongst you and your employees, there are tons of passwords and confidential information hackers can gain access to. Hackers utilize technology that enables them to test billions of password combinations every second. This makes 90% of user-generated passwords vulnerable to an attack. Implementing multi-factor authentication makes it harder for hackers to access your accounts by requiring a second piece of information from you to confirm your identity.
Invest In Cyber Insurance
The U.S. government’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency defines the purpose of cybersecurity insurance as, “designed to mitigate losses from a variety of cyber incidents, including data breaches, business interruption, and network damage.” For small to mid-sized businesses, there has been an increase in cyber-attacks and data breaches. Why? Well, these hackers know that most small businesses lack the resources that larger companies must protect their data, leaving them more vulnerable.
In 2021, there was a Kaseya ransomware attack that was later determined to have compromised data from more than 1,500 small to mid-sized businesses. The businesses that had cyber insurance came out from this incident way ahead of those businesses that didn’t have cyber insurance. There are a handful of different cyber coverages your business can invest in to protect itself from a cyber incident that leaves your pockets empty.
Train Your Staff
Companies that use employee-owned devices, make insecure connections, or use devices improperly are vulnerable to a host of network interferences. This is exactly why training your employees in cybersecurity awareness is a necessity within your business. Below is a list of steps you can take to ensure the safety of your confidential information:
- Make your cybersecurity problems aware to employees
- Host training sessions to show your employees what they can do to ensure their information doesn't get hacked
- Teach your employees how to spot suspicious activity
- Reinforce confidentiality
- Examine individual cases of cybersecurity breaches
- Report suspicious activity in Outlook that sends your company updates on the types of emails or senders to look for
How GMS Can Assist In Protecting Your Business
We understand the complexity of cybersecurity. Our experts provide you and your employees with safety training and guidance on the steps you can take to ensure safety within your business. GMS can help business owners take a proactive approach to workplace safety through various services including onsite consulting, job site inspections, training, and more. Brett Kowalski, GMS’ IT Director, explains, “In today’s business world, cybersecurity threats are increasing at an alarming rate. The ‘bad guys’ are getting more and more sophisticated with how they can penetrate an unsuspecting company environment. I urge all business owners to invest in frequent cybersecurity training for their user groups and look at alternative services such as phishing tests, network penetrations tests, and other preventative options to keep their company’s computing environment and data safe and secure.”
Contact us today to protect your business from cyber-attacks.