It’s almost impossible to run a successful enterprise nowadays without making strong use of the internet and applications.
Not only for marketing, but also for data storage and communications. That makes it incredibly important to keep your company safe from cyber attacks. If you have a lot of employees and partners, this can be very hard. However, it’s not impossible, and with some knowledge and dedication, you can protect your enterprise against cyber attacks. Here’s how.
Data Backup
If you have a backup of all of your data, then you are less vulnerable to ransomware attacks. If you have up-to-date data, then they can’t hold it for ransom. With a large business, make sure that you have guidelines for all of your departments. For some that use especially sensitive material, they should be backing up every day. For others, once a week may make sense. You can set up automatic cloud-based backup systems that will encrypt your data for storage, making it more secure while no one has to remember to do it at the required time.
Password Guidelines
If you have one employee who uses a weak password that gets compromised, it can put your entire network at risk. That includes employees who aren’t even in the same physical location as the one who got hacked. Make sure that you require everyone to have strong passwords for every portal they access. Implement enterprise password security systems so that even the most complicated passwords can be stored and accessed when needed. These services also make it easier to manage passwords throughout the company in case someone isn’t using strong passwords as they should.
Employee Separation Policy
Your management teams need to be very diligent when an employee leaves, whether they were fired or left on their own accord. Access should be restricted as soon as they do not need it, and they should return all devices that they used for work. If they used their own device, then you need to remotely remove or log out any applications that they may have used to access company data. A disgruntled employee can cause havoc if they are left with access, including stealing data and using it for illegal or unethical reasons.
Training
You can’t expect your employees to help you secure your data if they don’t know how or know where the threats are coming from. You should be implementing company wide training on data security and threat prevention. Everyone is responsible for security, so make sure they know what they are doing. They should all be aware of what a suspicious email might look like, and how social engineering works on social media. Not only should you implement this training, but it should be provided on a regular basis for refreshers and for new employees. Yes, it’s an investment, but it is worth it if you prevent a cyber attack because your staff know what to look for.
Application and Software Security Patches
Too many people see that there’s an update available for an application or their operating system and ignore it. They don’t want to have to reboot their device or they don’t want it to change how it functions. However, many of these updates contain security patches to make it harder for hackers to access them. Since hackers’ techniques are always getting more sophisticated, software developers make patches so that they can keep up. If you do not accept these updates then you are leaving yourself and your company vulnerable to attacks.
Firewalls
In an enterprise, it’s almost impossible to monitor everyone at all times. Unfortunately, there is always the chance that someone visits a website that infects their computer, causing a chain reaction to everyone else in the network. However, firewalls can prevent this from happening. You can block sites that the firewall identifies as suspicious and anything not deemed appropriate for work. This will help not just with your cyber protection, but also with productivity.
Two-Factor Authorization
For those who work with sensitive information, two-factor authorization might be the best option to keep things secure. This involves having more than just a password to access a portal. Once a password is entered, it will send a code to the user’s phone. This means that a hacker won’t be able to access something if they just have the password.
Don’t be passive when it comes to your cyber security. To protect your enterprise against cyber attacks, use these tips and keep your data secure.
