With the rise of remote and hybrid work, companies are more vulnerable than ever when it comes to cyber-attacks. Whether hacking customer data or stealing employees' banking information, businesses of every size must protect themselves.
In the last six months of 2021, 1,767 data breaches were reported from small to mid-sized businesses. This blog will discuss six necessary steps every company should take to prevent cyber attacks, regardless of size or industry.
A VPN essentially funnels the connection you are accessing the internet to the actual website. This is important if you are accessing the internet in a public place like a cafe, restaurant, or park. Free networks are usually the most commonly hacked. Using a VPN, moves your information to a different server. This tricks hackers into thinking you are accessing an other network connection making it harder to hack you.
People often use their name or birthday for every password, as it is easy to remember. However, having the same password for all websites or applications can be dangerous. If you use one password for everything, you are at serious risk. It is suggested to use different passwords and think outside the box. This simple thing could be a change in your email or your Chrome account from being hacked. If you struggle to remember your password try a password manager software that will recognize your passwords for you but offers features like 2-step authentications. Plus, many come with additional support and updates when someone is accessing your account.
Using encryption software could be a lifesaver if you are handling anything banking or personal number-related data. What this software does is it makes the data safe by altering the codes. So even if your information gets hacked, the information is useless to the hacker. This is a free feature in all of our automated systems at Solutions HCM.
Your Antivirus Software can help you avoid dangerous emails or harmful downloads before you open it. The software will scan the data first and give you a warning. When choosing a software, look for protection from "Malware" and "Spyware." These two viruses can infect your entire system or latch on to collect data. By keeping your antivirus software up to date, you can be safer from the latest scams.
Unlike antivirus software, a firewall can protect hackers from getting into your network and physical servers. In contrast, antivirus software is there to fix what has already gotten in, like an email you have received. It is suggested to have a firewall for both the inbound and outbound channels of your business. This will block possible hackers from accessing your network. It also can block certain websites from accessing your information.
In conclusion, protecting your company data is now a part of running a business. Protecting yourself is a must, whether it's company data or customer information. These six steps start with what you can do with your company, regardless of industry or size.