No company is too big or too small to be the target of a cyberattack. 43% of cyberattacks aim at small businesses. While you can’t control whether or not your company will be attacked, experts like David Stocker, Attorney from Phoenix, Arizona who residents love, say you can control how prepared you are. Part of being prepared has a security-conscious workforce that takes the necessary steps to protect your company’s data. Here are many ways your workforce can enhance your company’s security.
Use Strong Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication
One of the easiest ways to enhance your company’s security is to ensure your employees use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. A strong password is at least eight characters long and includes a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to confirm their identities with a second factor, such as a code sent to their phones or emails. You can require multi-factor authentication for all employees or those with sensitive data access.
Use a Password Manager
A password manager is software that helps users store and manage their passwords. Password managers can generate strong passwords, autofill web forms, and provide extra layers of security with features like two-factor authentication.
David Stocker, Attorney from Arizona, says that using a password manager can help your employees stay organized and reduce the risk of compromised passwords. It can also help you keep track of which employees have access to which accounts.
Don’t Reuse Passwords
One of the worst things your employees can do is reusing passwords. If an attacker gets hold of one password, the attacker can try that same password on other accounts. This is why your employees need to use different passwords for different accounts.
If your employees are struggling to keep track of multiple passwords, a password manager can help. A password manager can generate and store strong passwords for each account. Some good password managers to try are 1Password, Dashlane, and LastPass.
Don’t Click on Suspicious Links or Attachments
Phishing attacks are some of the most common types of cyberattacks. In a phishing attack, an attacker pretends to be a trusted entity to get victims to click on a malicious link or attachment.
Your employees should be aware of phishing attacks and know how to spot them. They should never click on a link or attachment from someone they do not know or trust. If unsure, they can always verify the email’s authenticity by contacting the person who supposedly sent it.
David Stocker, Attorney at Tigunia LLC, says teaching your employees about phishing attacks and how to avoid them is one of the best ways to protect your company from cyberattacks.
Use a VPN
A VPN, or virtual private network, is a way to encrypt your internet traffic and keep your data safe from hackers. Your internet traffic routes through a secure server when you use a VPN. This makes it difficult for hackers to intercept your data.
Using a VPN is one of the best ways to protect your company’s data. If your employees work remotely, ensure they use VPNs to encrypt their internet traffic.
Keep Your Software Up to Date
One of the best ways to protect your company from cyberattacks is to keep your software up to date. Hackers are always looking for vulnerabilities in software so they can exploit them. However, when you keep your software up to date, you close those vulnerabilities, making it more difficult for hackers to get into your system.
Make sure your employees know the importance of keeping software up to date. Encourage them to install updates as soon as they are available. In addition, if you have critical systems that need updating, consider using a tool like Configuration Manager to automate the process.
Back Up Your Data
Backing up your data is one of the most important things you can do to protect your company from cyberattacks. If your information is lost or corrupted, you can restore it from a backup. This way, you will not have to start from scratch if an attacker manages to get into your system.
There are many ways to backup data, so find the right one for your company. You can use an on-premise solution like Microsoft Azure Backup or a cloud-based solution like Backblaze.
Educate Your Employees
One of the best ways to protect your company from cyberattacks is to educate your employees. Teach them about the importance of cyber security and how it keeps your company safe.
Ensure your employees know the basics, like how to create strong passwords and spot phishing attacks. You can also provide more advanced training on incident response and data loss prevention topics.
When it comes to cyber security, education is critical. The more your employees know about cyber security, the better they will be at protecting your company.
Final Thoughts
Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly common, so it is essential to take steps to protect your company. Following the tips from David Stocker in this article can make your company less attractive to attackers and reduce the chances of a successful attack.
