Staying protected from every cyber threat is a full time business and then some. Even strictly following security best practices does not always guarantee that your company will not be breached at some point. Cyber security is certainly not foolproof and hackers are working constantly to find the largest vulnerabilities and ways into your sensitive data. Ever wonder why all these businesses are continually getting hacked? The answer, according to Wired online, is fairly simple. They break down the major reasons for successful hacking into two categories: flaws in software and flaws in human behavior. Next week we will take an indepth look at the “human flaw” element to hacking, but for today we will look at some of the steps your company can take to limit those vulnerabilities and protect your business data.
What the Stats Tell Us About Cyber Crime
Did you know that small and medium-sized businesses are especially susceptible to hacking? According to Fundera online, the statistics for these smaller companies are frightening.
43% of cyber attacks target small businesses.
60% of small businesses that are victims of a cyber attack go out of business within six months.
Cybercrime costs small and medium businesses more than $2.2 million a year.
There was a 424% increase in new small business cyber breaches last year. (2020)
These numbers tell us that even though your small business may be just a fledgling and that you don’t have all that much in the way of sensitive data, you may want to take a second look at your security protocols. Here are a few strategies that your business may want to employ to prevent hacking into your data and networks.
Beef Up Access Controls
Now that the business world has taken on a “work-from-anywhere” culture, you may want to protect your online accounts by turning on multi-factor or two-factor authentication for as many of your accounts as possible.This secondary step, often a code, email, or biometric check, can be enough to stop someone who should not have access to your network. Remember that not all forms of multi-factor or two-factor authentication are equal though. Code generating apps are considered more secure than getting codes via SMS and beyond this physical security keys provide an even more robust layer of protection. Take a close look at your access controls and consider MFA or 2FA for your system.
Invest in a Password Manager
It’s 2021, your password should not be the same across all of your accounts. In fact, your password should be randomly generated and have nothing to do with your personal life, the name of your dog, your birthday, or another fact that could easily be researched online.That being said, this means you need a password manager. All the passwords you use for your online accounts should be strong and unique. What this really means is they should be long, include a mixture of different character types and not be used across multiple websites.
Update & Patch Regularly
Bugs and glitches are inevitable when writing the miles and miles of code that goes into many of these applications that we all use. Be vigilant when patches are released to fix these issues. Don’t put off updating or patching when those simple actions could save your business from the efforts of a hacker. As security specialists, we advocate for the highest quality security systems and training for employees to know how to spot any incidences that could be the sign that a hacker has made their way past those checkpoints. Talk to our team today about how you can tighten your security to prevent a hacker from making successful entry to your business data.
What the Stats Tell Us About Cyber Crime
What the Stats Tell Us About Cyber Crime