Here, I will show you ten tips to increase your cybersecurity…
Cybercrime has become increasingly more aggressive since the beginning of the pandemic, with a recent report finding that the rate of detection and prosecution is 0.05% in the U.S. Half of the ransomware victims in 2022 chose to pay the ransom, but only a quarter of them fully regained access according to a recent survey.
Last year, an increase of 17% in U.S. business data breaches was reported in the first three quarters as opposed to in 2020. Ransomware increased by 148%, and the average cost of a data breach is $4.24 million.
The increase in cyber attacks affects all industries and businesses of all sizes, so it is essential that your company is secure and complies with the industry regulatory standards in cybersecurity, like SOC-2 compliance. This article will discuss a list of 10 tips to increase your cybersecurity.
Table of Contents
What’s Causing The Increase Of Attacks?
The increase in cyberattacks can be traced back to three major factors:
- The pandemic led to a spike in internet usage worldwide for remote working and learning.
- Cryptocurrency transfers make it easier for cybercriminals to collect on their schemes.
- More organizations are choosing to pay a ransom to regain access to their data.
Cybercriminals do not discriminate against the size of an organization and can have a negative impact in several ways such as minor disruptions in operations to significant financial losses.
The consequences of a cyber attack always include a cost, monetary or otherwise, that can affect your company in the short term, long term, or even cause permanent closure. These consequences include:
- Financial losses
- Loss of productivity
- Reputation damage
- Legal liability
- Business continuity problems
Some industries are more susceptible to cyber-attacks based solely on the nature of their business. While any industry can be the victim of an attack, businesses most at risk are those closely involved with people’s daily lives or those that maintain sensitive data or personally identifiable information.
10 Tips For Preventing An Attack
In today’s constantly changing work dynamics, cyber threats are becoming more common and are only growing. Affecting all industries and businesses, big or small, everyone is vulnerable, so it is essential to protect your company from ransomware and other cyberattacks. Some cybersecurity tips to protect your business include:
1. Educate Employees
The best defence begins with your employee’s vigilance. Unfortunately, most people don't know how to identify a threat or recognize a fraud attempt. Educating staff about the dangers of cyber threats and what to look for can mitigate risk and reduce incidents.
2. Backup Data in The Cloud
Data loss and corruption can result from a security breach, so you should consider the cloud for data backup as it offers unlimited scalability eliminates additional infrastructure costs as well as offers predictable storage costs, and eliminates downtime. Data from the cloud can also be instantly accessed and restored, ensuring business continuity.
3. Control Access of Data
Access control enables I.T. to dictate who has access to what resources within the organization. An employee who gets hacked can unknowingly allow a fraudster into the corporate network and access sensitive and confidential data, such as customer data, if controls aren't strict enough. Limiting employee access to only the data they need to do their jobs is an essential best practice.
4. Be Mindful of Phishing Scams
Avoid interacting with emails from unknown senders, look out for grammatical errors, be aware of inconsistencies, examine the actual email address, and hover over any links to check the destination URL. If an email seems suspicious, there is usually a reason.
5. Use Strong Passwords
Here is one of the popular tips to increase your cybersecurity. You should use strong and unique passwords for every account and update them every so often. Most people tend to use the same passwords for multiple online accounts. So hackers will use stolen credentials to attempt to get into your accounts.Â
6. Think Before You Click
Cybercriminals often use email to gain access to your computer and your data. They do this by convincing you to open a link, an attachment, or download something. Malware will automatically install and compromise your device. Check links before you click on them by hovering over the link to see the target URL.
7. MFA for Email and VPN
Passwords alone are no longer sufficient in protecting your account, consider supplementing your traditional password with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to ensure secure access across networks. MFA provides an additional layer of protection, as you will be prompted to enter more than two different authentication methods.
8. Single Sign-On
Single Sign-On (SSO) is an authentication method that reduces the chances of passwords and sensitive data being stolen in a breach. It works by enabling users to authenticate with multiple applications and websites by using just one set of credentials. It streamlines the process of signing on and using applications and lessens chances of phishing, as well as password-related complaints for I.T.
9. Have An Incident Response Plan
An incident response plan outlines how to minimize the duration and damage of security incidents, identifies stakeholders, streamlines digital forensics, improves recovery time, and reduces negative publicity. A good plan defines measures and actions staff should take following an attack or breach and helps coordinate resources to restore operations quickly.
10. Multi-layered, Real-Time Email Vigilance
Implement an email security strategy with AI-powered auto-learn capabilities that enable the system to rapidly adapt to evolving threats, upgrading its protection in real time to protect against future attacks. The multi-layered design should consist of advanced safeguards that work harmoniously to detect and block threats.
The Bottom Line
As cyberattacks continue to evolve and increase, your business must be truly secure. Preventing cyberattacks and threats from negatively impacting your business is one of the most important things you can do.
With the right technology, threats can be prevented before they ever get anywhere near your system, devices, and data. Additionally, implementing best practices will help to reduce the risks of your cybersecurity being compromised.
Which of the tips to increase your cybersecurity would you adopt?
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About the Author:
Meet Angela Daniel, an esteemed cybersecurity expert and the Associate Editor at SecureBlitz. With a profound understanding of the digital security landscape, Angela is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge with readers. Her insightful articles delve into the intricacies of cybersecurity, offering a beacon of understanding in the ever-evolving realm of online safety.
Angela's expertise is grounded in a passion for staying at the forefront of emerging threats and protective measures. Her commitment to empowering individuals and organizations with the tools and insights to safeguard their digital presence is unwavering.
