Cybersecurity is the number one topic for businesses today. Dealing with digital footprints makes your organization susceptible to business email compromise. The size of your company is irrelevant to cybercriminals and if your company is using technology, you should be aware of the best cybersecurity measures to protect customer data and proprietary information.
If you’re a business owner and haven’t yet taken cybersecurity measures for your enterprise, now’s the time to take action.
A basic defense tool your company can use to protect itself against cyber attacks is a firewall.
Many companies are wising up when it comes to using a firewall – employing both standard and internal firewalls to cover remote and hybrid employees.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends that all businesses set up a firewall to provide a barrier between their sensitive data and cybercriminals.
Malware is any malicious software that replicates on your computer until it spreads within your entire system. Malware includes spyware, ransomware, viruses, and so on.
Reliable antivirus software is a fundamental tool for protecting your business from malware attack–related issues, including business email compromise and total system shutdown.
Antivirus and antimalware solutions work as the final defense barrier against unwanted cyber-attacks. Should an attack begin to make its way through your system, it will be thwarted by these tools that will detect and remove the malware.
The software also scans through and filters out harmful downloads and emails.
An efficient internet connection is the cornerstone of any successful business. Although the priority is a strong internet connection, it is also vital that the connection is secure. Unsecure networks can be accessed by anyone with the will to monitor and capture your digital traffic, including cybercriminals.
One way to remedy this is by using a virtual private network (VPN) to hide your connection even while you’re sipping on your Starbucks using that free public WiFi.
A very basic step to avoid cybercriminal threats like business email compromise is changing your password. If you are in the middle of an attack, this will guarantee that the malicious actor is cut off from your account. Additionally, if you have been attacked, change verification information for your business social media accounts, bank accounts, and anything else that could be linked to the compromised email account.
However, if you’re trying to get ahead of the game, you should change your password regularly. Do your best to make your new passwords strong and unique– and don’t reuse a password on multiple accounts.
Regularly backing up data on all company computers and servers is critical for protecting your organization in the event of an attack. This way if you experience a major security breach that locks you out of your system or forces you to halt operations, you can restore all sensitive and vital data very quickly.
Keeping automatic backups will ensure that this process is not overlooked.
Cyber threats are very real. These threats can range from the loss of confidential company data to business disruptions, to reputation issues that can arise from business email compromise attacks. Although a company cannot truly protect itself from all of these cyber dangers, utilizing best practices only helps.