October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, an annual reminder of the importance of protecting your business from cyber threats. This global initiative provides an opportunity to evaluate your security posture and take proactive steps towards a stronger defense. There are many ways that you can accomplish this, even if your resources are limited.
1. Train Your Employees
Employees can either be your first line of defense or one of your biggest security threats, depending on the amount of training provided. Social engineering attacks such as phishing scams target human psychology, instead of leveraging technological weaknesses, making cybersecurity awareness training a critical part of any defense strategy.
Actions:
- Conduct Regular Training: Provide ongoing training sessions that cover common threats like phishing, ransomware, and password security.
- Simulate Phishing Attacks: Use phishing simulations to test employee awareness, and identify areas that need improvement.
- Create a Security Culture: Encourage employees to report suspicious activity without fear of reprimand. Foster a culture of vigilance and shared responsibility.
2. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA requires more than one form of verification before granting access to company accounts or systems. These commonly involve a code sent to a second device, authenticator apps, or biometric data such as a fingerprint scan. Implementing MFA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access.
Actions:
- Enable MFA for Critical Systems: Apply MFA whenever possible.
- Use Authenticator Apps: Encourage employees to use authenticator apps rather than SMS, for added security.
- Regularly Review Access Logs: Monitor access logs for unusual activity, to detect potential breaches early.
3. Keep Software and Systems Updated
Outdated software often contains vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. Regularly updating software, applications, and operating systems will help close security gaps and protect your business.
Actions:
- Automate Updates: Enable automatic updates where possible.
- Patch Management: Develop a patch management strategy to prioritize and implement security updates.
- Audit Software Use: Regularly audit your software to identify outdated or unsupported applications that may pose security risks.
4. Strengthen Your Password Policies
Poor password practices, such as writing passwords down or using the same one across multiple sites, are a common security risk. It is important to implement strong password policies that can prevent employee accounts from being compromised.
Actions:
- Enforce Complex Passwords: Require passwords to be at least 12 characters long and include a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters.
- Implement Password Managers: Invest in a password manager, as this will discourage poor password practices.
- Password Changes: If a breach is suspected, instruct all staff to immediately change their passwords.
5. Backup Your Data Regularly
Data backups are an essential business activity. There are a number of events, from cyber-attacks to natural disasters, that can threaten your data. Proper backup practices will help you recover faster if this occurs, minimizing downtime.
Actions:
- Automate Backups: Schedule regular, automated backups to both on-site and cloud storage locations.
- Test Recovery Processes: Periodically test your backups to ensure that data can be restored quickly and without issues.
- Keep Offline Backups: Maintain offline backups, so data can still be accessed if the entire network is unavailable or compromised.
6. Develop an Incident Response Plan
No security measure will prevent every cyber threat, so it is critical to develop an incident response plan. This should outline the steps your business will take in the event of a security incident, including detection, threat isolation, data restoration, and communication.
Actions:
- Create an Incident Response Team: Designate a team responsible for managing cybersecurity incidents.
- Define Clear Procedures: Outline specific steps for identifying, containing, and mitigating threats.
- Conduct Simulations: Regularly test your plan through simulations and tabletop exercises, to ensure your team is prepared to respond effectively.
7. Secure Your Remote Workforce
If some of your staff work remotely, your business will face unique challenges caused by personal devices, unsecured networks, and an expanded attack surface. In this case, it is important to secure your remote workers.
Actions:
- Use VPNs: Implement Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to secure remote connections.
- Secure Home Networks: Provide guidance on securing home Wi-Fi networks, including changing default passwords and enabling encryption.
- Monitor Remote Access: Use monitoring tools to detect unusual access patterns and respond to potential security threats.
Need more information? Learn how you can build a cybersecurity strategy from the ground up
Protect Your Business from Cyber-Attacks
While Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an important reminder, it is critical to understand that the threat is not over when October ends. Cyber-attacks are constantly evolving, and this means that you must prioritize security year-round to protect your business and data. By focusing on the simplest, most effective measures first, you can build a cyber defense strategy that reduces your risk of cyber-attacks and data breaches without putting a strain on resources.
ION247 provides managed cybersecurity services ready to assist businesses that want stronger protection, but don’t have the time or resources to achieve it alone. Our comprehensive approach focuses on empowering your employees first, and then supporting them with advanced cybersecurity solutions to ensure a strong defense from all angles. Explore our managed cybersecurity services and learn how we can protect your data.
