Top security solutions to protect your company’s data

Top security solutions to protect your company’s data

Digitizing your processes and procedures has never been more essential. Securing your company’s sensitive data is a close second.

With remote work on the rise and an increasing reliance on all things online, opportunistic cybercriminals are more active than ever. As an unsettling number of data breaches make headlines, it can start to feel like no one is safe.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways to recommit to your company’s security strategy. Start with these to-dos to double-check your data.


Perform a security audit

Do you know where your business is most vulnerable to attack? Don’t wait until your system is compromised to find out. Conducting a self-audit helps you assess your data security before there’s a problem.

This semi-annual practice can help you stay ahead of the cyber curve. Like a lot of businesses, your processes may have recently changed. A security audit is a great way to gain peace of mind that you’re following best practices.

At minimum, spend some time evaluating these important fronts to ensure you’re secure:

  • Your email system. Phishing scams can be tough to spot and even tougher to correct. Not only is it the most common form of data breach, the tactics are becoming more sophisticated and the number of attempts has doubled in less than two years. According to the FBI, businesses lost a staggering $3.5 billion from compromised email accounts in 2019. The best way to avoid handing a hacker the keys to your network? Training. More on that in a bit.
  • Malware vulnerably. Be it from an external hack or an unwitting employee clicking an infected link, malware can wreak financial havoc on your business. One popular type of malware, known as ransomware, is especially common in the medical, educational and financial sectors. Start by ensuring your anti-virus is up-to-date. As we’ll see, having a plan in place to prevent and recover from this common type of attack is also strongly recommended.
  • Company-wide WiFi connections. Remote work makes the world go round. But the public WiFi networks that everyone uses can inadvertently cause chaos. When sensitive company or personal data is exchanged over an unsecured network, hackers can easily intercept it. Better to set up a secure, virtual private network (VPN) only your employees can access.
  • Network security. Then again, a VPN won’t help you much if there are holes in your network security. Upgrading potential inadequacies can close any hacker loopholes and prevent unauthorized data access. Start by making sure your servers are physically secure and password protected. Firewalls and anti-virus will also help close the gap.

Make sure staff isn’t getting rusty

Your employees are your greatest asset – and biggest potential downfall. To fully protect your organization, you’re going to need their participation.

Something as simple as instructing them to regularly review and strengthen their passwords will go a long way. Employee training that focuses on spotting phishing and other malware attempts should also be given on a regular basis.

Keep in mind that one-and-done is ineffectual. Because these scams evolve quickly, your training materials should be updated regularly. Staff needs to be kept abreast of the latest psychological schemes and attempts on your industry, too.

Curious how staff would stand up to a potential attack? Your IT team could deploy a fake attempt and use the results to inform your next training simulation.


Prepare for the worst

When it comes to data security, preparation is the key to prevention. The stronger your compliance standards, the less likely you are to sustain a breach.

For instance, if phishing attempts persist despite your best efforts, consider implementing whitelists to help filter addresses and domains as “safe” or “spam”.

Want to reinforce your firewall? Intrusion detection tools can help you identify irregularities on the network or user side.

On the malware front, advanced threat protection (ATP) add-ons offered by some software and managed service providers can help you defend against and investigate unscrupulous activity.

Data security is a constant commitment. The more attuned you are to potential risks and your individual vulnerabilities, the more stringent you make your protective practices.

 

Content created and provided by ONEAFFINITI, LLC.