As the threat of cybercrime increases, it’s notable that businesses of all shapes and sizes are at risk. Cyber attacks are at an all-time high, with them being up 600% due to COVID-19. With a large quantity being through phishing email schemes. It has been recorded that ‘56% of IT decision makers say targeted phishing attacks are their top security threat’.
Top 5 Effective first steps towards Cyber Security
- Update APPs and Systems regularly
- Review privacy settings
- Encrypt and Backup data
- Create a security focussed workplace
- Fight technology with technology
- Update APPs and Systems regularly: To reduce the risks, update all applications and systems that your business use (example: Windows and Adobe).Using older versions of software and applications can leave your business vulnerable and susceptible to security breaches.
- Review privacy settings: are you still using the same passwords since inception? Is it easy to guess? Weak passwords are one of the main gateways to cyber-attacks in businesses.Ensure all employees have unique strong passwords for each and every login and ensure these are updated frequently to enhance your security. Consider implementing a two-factor authentication.
- Encrypt and Backup data: 34% of businesses being hit with malware takes a week or more to regain data, don’t be caught in the dark. Backup with outsourced IT support businesses not only helps detect, prevent, and stop attacks, it can allow you to recover any data loss, enabling infrastructure to grow safely and securely, whether through Veeam, Data Centre solutions or other systems.
- Create a security focussed workplace: Educate employees on the dangers of cyber attacks and how to help reduce the risk in the workplace. Insider data breaches become a serious matter, help by creating a robust data use policy that’s clear for all to use. Put access restrictions in place.
- Conduct regular audits: Although you cannot eradicate the risk of cyber-attacks altogether, you can implement measures in place to regularly review and assess your business’ cyber protection. This helps businesses stay on top of any things happening within your business, by identifying any weaknesses in advance, defence can be established to prevent any major outage/catastrophe to the business.
Know the Facts
- Over 18 million websites are infected with malware at a given time each week.
- 75% of companies infected with ransomware were running up-to-date endpoint protection.
- 60% of small business think they’re unlikely to be attacked.
- One-third of small businesses report using free, consumer grade cyber security
- Small businesses saw a 424% increase in cyber-attacks 2020
- Of the 1,100 IT professionals surveyed, 90% had clients that suffered ransomware attacks in the past year.
- The most common malicious attachment types: Office 38%, Archive 37%, PDF 14%, Other Ext 6%, Binaries 4%, XML/HTML/JS 1%
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