Cybercrime has grown in the past few years due to the existence of smarter cybercriminals. Unlike before where they were targeting large enterprises, today they are targeting even smaller businesses and individuals. Now that cybersecurity is increasing sharply, business leaders need to develop measures to prevent breach into their systems. In 2021, experts expect cybersecurity threats to rise more than it was in 2020.
The following are eight vital tips that business leaders should employ to help curb Cybersecurity:
Installation of antivirus and firewall protection.
Antivirus and firewall protect the system against malicious attacks by blocking any malicious virus from getting into your computer. Malicious viruses compromise valuable data in the system. A firewall protects against data breach by screening for viruses and other malicious elements in the traffic. Most of the modern operating systems, such as Windows and Mac, come with inbuilt firewalls. Business leaders should also install anti-malware software into their systems to prevent phishing email attacks.
Adoption of multi-authentication protocols.
Multi authentication protocols add an extra layer of protection to the existing layer of protection. For instance, you may log in to a system using the username and password and input a code sent to your phone. Other systems will require a fingerprint scanning and again a password at the same time for you to log in into the system. If the first layer is bleached, the second layer will be hard to compromise.
Avoid the usage of public WiFi.
Most of the public WiFi is prone to hackers intrusion. If you must use a public WiFi, ensure that you are using a VPN to encrypt your traffic; hence intruders can’t get access to your data.
Regularly backup system data.
Backing data in a different physical location or on the Cloud will ensure business leaders don’t lose vital data upon security bleach. Some attackers hack into systems to deny access to it by deleting or encrypting and then request you for a ransom to have access to it.
Avoid the insertion of foreign USB devices into the company computers.
The use of foreign USB devices into the company’s computer system is common in which attackers install malicious programs into targeted networks. Cyber attackers are leaving infected USB devices in the parking bay where company employees can see them. Inquisitive employees end up inserting the USB flash disk into the company’s computers to check what they have. Such disks are programmed to execute specific commands when inserted into a system. If the USB disk manages to get into the organization’s computers, the USB will infect the system with malicious programs. Some antivirus programs installed by some companies can’t pick some hackers’ coding malware; hence employees will not detect the flash disk is infected.
Educate employees on Cyber Security threats.
Employees in an organization are supposed to undergo training on the emerging cybersecurity trends. They should know how to safeguard the organization’s security protocols. Employees should lock down their devices when they are not using them. Every employee should be held responsible for reckless exposure of the company data, thus avoiding laxity and ignorance. Employees are supposed to report suspected emails to the IT department for further action.
Regularly update all software and operating systems.
IT experts keep on updating their software to strengthen any weakness on the previous ones. By the time hackers detect a previous program’s vulnerability, the software experts will update new patches and fix existing bugs. If you fail to update all the programs to the recent updates, you risk experiencing data leaks.
Regular update of passwords.
Sometimes passwords leak accidentally, hence employees should regularly update their passwords. The passwords should be unique and complicated, therefore making it hard to guess. Let the password have small and capital letters, numbers, and symbols to make it hard for attackers to crack.
Now that 2021 will still have some employees working remotely, they need to employ the above measures to prevent system bleach. As technology advances, cyber threats will also advance. It’s advisable to protect your data rather than regretting after a severe leak. Business leaders should consult cybersecurity experts to have their security strengthened.
