Cyber security is something nobody can afford to ignore. Unless you hide from the world’s media, you must know that hacks and data breaches regularly affect firms of all sizes. Often these incidents are significant enough to make the front pages, causing irreparable reputational damage to the companies involved.
This rise in the widespread use of technology brought with it a rise in cybercrime. For hackers, the possibilities increased exponentially, along with the potential rewards.
What is Cyber Security
Cyber security is the means by which individuals and organisations reduce the risk of becoming victims of a cyber attack. Cyber security’s core function is to protect the devices we all use including, smartphones, laptops, tablets and computers, plus the services we access. It’s also about preventing unauthorised access to the vast amounts of data we store on these devices, and in the cloud.
When you are aware of cyber security risks, it’s much easier to protect yourself from hackers, viruses and malware. An astounding 54% of firms had their network or data compromised last year? If you’re one of the few people yet to experience being in the thick of such an attack, the fact that it happens to more than half of companies in a year suggests it could well be your turn soon.
5 Quick Start Cyber Security Best Practices Hygiene Principles
What can you do fight against the growing threat? Here are some suggestions:
1- Train employees in security principles:
Establish basic security practices and policies for employees, such as requiring strong passwords, and establish appropriate Internet use guidelines that detail penalties for violating company cybersecurity policies. User education is a critical strategy as a first line of defense. It’s not realistic to expect an IT department to mitigate every IT security risk. Many modern cyber security threats originate from social engineering, user error, exploits to web browsers, and other things that technical teams and technology can only do so much to protect you from.
2- Antivirus is not enough:
Antivirus software is still an essential part of the IT security armoury, but it’s not enough – by itself – to protect from modern threats. Implement cyber security protection solutions that protect your systems from ransomware, phishing attacks and can roll back to a previous time.
3- Backup is critical:
Businesses are hit by ransomware every 40 seconds, but the irony is that no firm needs to pay a ransom if their backups and disaster recovery efforts are on point. Yes, such a cyber attack will cause annoyance and disruption, but if a backup is there, there’s no need to pay hackers any money.
4- Data access:
Another good example of why cyber security isn’t merely a technology issue is how easy it is for an employee to cause a data breach. A distracted employee can visit the wrong website or open a phishing email or can leave an unencrypted personal device unattended. With some simple thought, it’s relatively easy to eliminate gaps in processes that could expose data, cause a breach, or simply make it difficult for hackers to consider your business as a target.
5- Get insured:
The market for cyber security insurance has boomed in the last couple of years, and it’s now something that companies of all sizes need to think about. Cyber security insurance isn’t only about protecting against financial risk. If your company is hit by a data breach, there’s a lot of damage to contain, and you may need help with that from the kind of experts and damage-limitation specialists your insurer could provide.
Cyber security is a serious matter and many small businesses are not properly prepared to deal with an attack. By law as of 2018, all Canadian organizations must report cyber security breaches to the government. Are you prepared?
How to Get Help
Need advice and don’t know who to speak with? We are super knowledgeable about cyber security. As an award winning cyber security company, we can help you understand how to protect your business with the best tools to meet your budget.