No matter what type of business you are in, it is likely that you will rely on digital technology to a greater or lesser extent. Systems that hold valuable information, such as customer details or other sensitive data need to be protected from cyber criminals and this is becoming an increasingly sophisticated process. With that in mind, here we look at the most effective ways to ensure your business is safe from cyber threats.
Getting the Basics Right
Depending on the size and nature of your business, there are a number of measures you can take to protect it. Large companies, with lots to lose, will put in several layers of protection, but even so they need to get the basics right.
It will come as no surprise that the first piece of advice is to use complex passwords and to change them periodically. Passwords that are made up of letters, numbers and special characters make it far more difficult for hackers to break into your system.
A conscientious approach when it comes to dealing with suspect emails is also paramount. Social engineering scams, where hackers attempt to obtain information that will help them breach a system is one of the most common methods they employ.
Choosing a Secure Platform
Careful consideration is required when looking at which digital platforms you will use in your business, particularly if you are involved in ecommerce. Things to look out for include making sure the platform supports Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and HTTPS. It is also important that as well as the platform itself, the online checkout system is protected.
Once you are confident that your firewalls are secure, it will be helpful to use multiple layers of protection to defend against factors such as SQL or XSS that can penetrate search queries or online forms.
Testing the System
Once you have a secure system in place, it is good practice to have it regularly tested. Penetration testing is a procedure that has been around for some time. It involves trained professionals trying to breach your business’s IT system from outside and from within – just as a cybercriminal might. Once the testing is complete, then a series of recommendations may be made to further strengthen the system.
Companies like Sogeti are also offering other types of testing, such as Cognitive QA, where testing is automated and where smart analytics give your business’s system the capability to react in a more agile and intelligent fashion.
Cloud Based Computing
Cloud based computing has finally taken off in a big way and using apps and other software via the cloud can also help protect your system from cyber threats. There are numerous reasons for this including factors like expediency – patches and other measures needed to keep systems secure are applied much quicker and therefore the windows of opportunity for hackers are far narrower.
When it comes to protecting your business against cyber threats, the advice is to take a methodical and systematic approach and apply it consistently.
