Cyber threats They pose a risk not only to large corporations and governments, but also to small businesses, which are often more vulnerable targets. The lack of resources can leave the latter less prepared to adequately protect themselves, So here we give you 8 tips to improve Cybersecurity in your Company.
Protecting your business from cyberattacks is crucial, but given the constantly evolving cyber landscape, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Therefore, here we offer you a guide to help small businesses face these threats.
Cybersecurity in your company is vitally important for small businesses for several reasons. Cyberattacks can put your finances, data and IT equipment at risk. If a hacker manages to access your network, they can cause considerable damage, gaining access to sensitive information such as customer lists, credit card data, banking details, pricing structure, product designs, growth plans and other proprietary assets. intellectual.
These attacks not only affect your company, but hackers can also use access to your network as a gateway to other companies that are part of your supply chain.
With a growing number of people working remotely around the world, app and enterprise security becomes even more critical. Many small businesses rely on cloud-based technology for their daily operations, including everything from online meetings to banking transactions. For financial and reputational reasons, it is essential to protect these systems and data from unauthorized access.
A cyberattack can have a devastating impact on your business, and many small businesses do not survive a security breach. In addition to financial losses and mitigation costs, business interruption and reputational damage can be equally damaging. Therefore, protecting against cyberattacks and improving cybersecurity in your company is a priority for any small business seeking to maintain its security and stability.
Likewise, it should be a priority to consult a team of experts on app security and security in companies such as Codster who collaborates with veracode to offer compelling evidence to improve your cybersecurity in your company.
Establish a Cyber Security Awareness Program
To strengthen cybersecurity in your company, it is crucial to establish a computer security awareness program. These programs are specifically designed to educate and train employees on how to avoid making common mistakes that could trigger cybersecurity incidents.
Some of the most important training topics include preventing phishing attacks, mobile device security, password management, and detecting social engineering schemes.
A managed IT support service provider can offer regular training sessions for your employees, ensuring all staff are aware of these constantly evolving threats. Check out our guide on how to create an effective cybersecurity awareness program for your company.
Implement and Strengthen Multi-Factor Authentication
Another fundamental step to improve cybersecurity in your company is to implement and reinforce multi-factor authentication in all your accounts. Not familiar with the terms MFA and 2FA?
Multi-factor authentication adds an additional layer of security to each account by requiring employees to confirm their identity before accessing them. Typically, this verification method involves sending a unique code to the user's email or mobile device.
Enabling multi-factor authentication, along with the use of strong passwords, significantly improves cybersecurity in your company by making it significantly more difficult for cybercriminals to access these accounts and obtain sensitive data.
Strengthening multi-factor authentication ensures compliance and reduces the risk of human error that could leave an account unprotected. Simply compromising one account exposes your company to potential data breaches.
Keep your Systems Patched and Updated
Many companies underestimate the importance of keeping their computer systems up to date with the latest patches. Although they recognize the need to do so, they often find it difficult to implement an effective program to manage and monitor these updates.
Unfortunately, an outdated system represents a significant security risk that can trigger a variety of problems. At the very least, turning on automatic updates will help keep your systems protected with the latest available patches.
A managed services provider can take this a step further by managing and monitoring the implementation and compliance of updates and patches. This is essential for meeting regulatory requirements and for board oversight in companies that prioritize risk management.
Update your software to improve cybersecurity in your company
In recent years, we have seen a steady increase in vulnerabilities in software and operating systems (Windows 7, 10, and 11) that could expose business systems and sensitive data to unauthorized access. Software vendors often release patches quickly and urgently to address these vulnerabilities.
Relying on ad hoc updates per device prolongs risk exposure and, without centralized management, it is impossible to provide assurance to the board of directors or insurers that risk has been mitigated.
Implementing a centralized patch and update management system, with direct reports to management, is a crucial step in keeping your IT ecosystem secure and, in this way, improving cybersecurity in your company. There are numerous options available, and if you work with an IT provider, make sure you receive monthly reports on key metrics. If they can't provide you with the data, it's time to question your IT support provider.
Verify your Backups and Disaster Recovery Plan
A cybersecurity incident at your company can result in significant data loss for your business. Even data loss can occur due to employee errors or infrastructure failures in the middle of a project.
The best way to prepare for these situations is to, at a minimum, create data backups. Ideally, your company should have a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan that is linked to your Incident Response Plan.
Although backups are great for keeping copies of your information separate from your live production systems, they are often a major limiting factor for recovery.
Increasingly, businesses are relying on technology—not just data, such as files and spreadsheets, but also the operating environment, such as critical applications that are critical to daily business operations.
Imagine if your company couldn't access critical systems such as email or your ERP, accounts or payroll applications. Yes, your data could be safely stored as a backup, but how would you access it?
A disaster recovery plan and business continuity system differ from simple backup in that they not only keep your data safe, but also detail and provide rapid recovery of the entire IT ecosystem. This way, even if IT systems were down or you experienced a serious ransomware incident, your business could be back up and running in a matter of hours instead of weeks. Your business faces a disaster, what do you do? Read about how Momentum Support remained fully operational while its offices went up in flames.
If you still rely solely on backups, it's time to review your business' dependence on technology and understand what impact an IT incident would have on your organization. If you need help, seek advice from a professional managed services provider and explore your options.
Make Sure All Your Devices Are Encrypted
Encryption plays a vital role in protecting data from cyber threats. Verifying that all your devices are encrypted is essential for the security of your data and to reduce the possibility of a data breach.
Using built-in encryption programs (such as Bitlocker) or third-party providers can help keep your data safe and improve cybersecurity in your business.
Don't be the company that has a stolen laptop and, because it can't verify that it was encrypted, has to report a data breach to the DPO.
A managed IT service provider can help ensure that each device is encrypted. All devices you purchase must be encrypted by default as part of a policy. Ask your provider to demonstrate encryption compliance at your business.
To improve cybersecurity in your company, it is necessary to rely on the best providers of application vulnerability analysis, which can be prevented with the support of Veracode. Its analysis includes static source code analysis, dynamic application analysis, software composition analysis, mobile software analytics, integration and automation tools, and reporting and dashboards, you can request a consultancy with Codster to solve your doubts about it.
