It seems that every single day, there is a story about another hacking incident. In fact, hackers attack every 39 seconds on an average of 2,244 times a day.
You might be thinking, even with statistics that high, it will never happen to you. Think again. It can happen to anyone or any type of business. Retail stores and restaurants are at risk for a data breach exposing their customers’ personal and financial information. Technology, government, and other businesses may find their files held hostage courtesy of a ransomware attack. When this happens, the company’s computers are essentially on lockdown, and its data is inaccessible unless someone agrees to pay the cybercriminal a fee to release it.
Ransomware and other malware attacks are predicted to cost the world $6 trillion by 2020. Needless to say, that is a colossal waste of money. Instead of having to worry about hackers and other cybercriminals compromising your business’ data, you can take preventative measures to protect your information, saving you both money and trouble. Here are some tips on keeping your technology safe from threats and hackers.
Regularly Change Passwords
One of the most basic ways to protect your devices is to change passwords regularly. You should aim to change passwords at least once every three months. They should also be a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters, numerals, and special characters. Make sure every password you create is also difficult to guess and different from the rest. Those that are too easy or obvious can lead to problems.
Buy the Right Antivirus Protection
Antivirus protection is absolutely essential. This software blocks viruses from attacking your devices rather than responding to them after they occur.
You should opt for a subscription-based software so you can get the maximum rewards of security. Free versions are often insufficient for protecting technology devices used in the workplace.
Lock Down Your Network
It’s ubiquitous for hackers to gain entry to a business’ data through security flaws in its Wi-Fi network. To that end, it is mandatory to ensure that your system is fully secured. You may want to forego having wireless access to your company’s Wi-Fi and, instead, have your employees plug in their devices.
Another option is to disable the service set identifier or SSID on your wireless router. This essentially hides your network, so only those who are allowed access can use it.
Invest in Anti-Ransomware Protection
Because ransomware has become such a massive problem in the last couple of years, excellent software for ransomware protection is a must. The right program is effective at preventing these attacks from happening in the first place, so your company is not dishing out thousands of dollars in data retrieval. Whether your business is still a startup or if it’s been operating for decades, you need to buy an exceptional tool that protects you from ransomware.
Educate Your Staff
You could implement all the security measures in the world, but what good are they if your staff isn’t knowledgable? It’s wise to hold occasional meetings, seminars, or courses that teach your employees about how to stay smart with technology. Such measures should include knowing how to spot suspicious emails, not sharing passwords, avoiding clicking suspicious links, avoiding opening odd-looking attachments, and encrypting sensitive messages.
Encrypt Data on Devices
You should also encrypt the data stored on computers, mobile devices, and even removable storage. It can help to keep these gadgets secure from the prying eyes of hackers. You can go the extra step in security by using two-step authentication. You can have text messages sent to your employees when they enter their passwords that require the person to confirm their access.
These are excellent security measures to take to protect your business from hackers and cyberattacks, in general. Your business will save precious money and thrive for your efforts.
