In a connected and digital world, cyber attacks are among the main risks for companies. Regardless of size or sector, every business is a potential target for cybercriminals.
For a better understanding of the challenging scenario for companies, the Global Risk Report 2021, published by the World Economic Forum, places hacker activity among the top five risks for organizations that may occur within two years.
In other words, the danger of suffering cyber attacks is real and immediate. Is your company ready to face this challenge?
Being able to prevent and respond quickly to the actions of digital criminals is essential to avoid or mitigate the damages and disruptions to business operations that this type of crime can cause.
7 Tips to Protect Your Company from Cyber Attacks
Information technology has revolutionized the daily lives of companies, but it has also opened the door for them to be targets of digital crimes of various kinds. Hackers act in various ways, and it is possible to come across a range of constantly evolving scams.
Data theft; network, system, and device hijacking; and financial gain are almost always the ultimate goals of these actions, with industrial espionage and sabotage of competitors also not being ruled out.
Although it is impossible to completely eliminate risks once you are connected, with some simple measures that can be adopted by any company, it is already possible to significantly reduce the chances of being a victim of a cyber attack.
Among the measures that can be adopted, check out the 7 tips on how to protect yourself from cyber attacks that we have highlighted!
1- Keep operating systems and software up to date
Hackers are always looking for vulnerabilities in operating systems and software that open the door to invasions and cyber attacks. Developers are aware of this movement, periodically releasing new versions and fixes, aiming not only to improve performance but also to enhance the security of the tools.
Those who keep operating systems and software up to date reduce the risks of being a victim of cyber attacks.
2- Train your team
The human aspect is usually the main weakness in cybersecurity. Criminals use social engineering to deceive victims and make them take the action that allows the attack, such as clicking on links sent by message that lead to the installation of malware on the device.
It is essential that your entire team, not just the information technology sector, receives training on information security, disseminating best practices in the use of digital tools.
3- Have strong passwords
The reality is that most of us use weak access passwords, both in personal and professional life, facilitating the work of cybercriminals. Use solutions that create and securely store strong passwords, reducing the risks of suffering invasions.
Whenever possible, activate two-factor verification using an authenticator, which can be found for free in the app stores. Attention: avoid two-step verification using phone numbers. If the line is cloned, hackers will have easy access to your system and/or software.
4- Backup your data
Regularly backing up your data is essential to avoid information loss.
Additionally, if your company falls victim to the data kidnapping scam, with your backup up to date, you guarantee access to the data without having to give in to criminals, as well as becoming able to resume your operation more quickly and without compromising customer service.
5- Test your website’s encoding
Testing your website’s encoding is important to find “open doors” before digital criminals. It is a preventive action that allows the correction of flaws and increases the security of your company in the digital world.
6- Invest in security technology
The losses resulting from a cyber attack can be high and even lead your business to leave the market. Security software is one of the best investments you can make for your company. The solutions enhance your digital protection, preventing you from suffering attacks from viruses, trojans, ransomware, and other malware.
We emphasize that among all your systems and software, those related to security are the most important to keep updated ALWAYS.
7- Develop a response plan
Even with all these precautions, your company is not immune to being a target of cyber attacks. Therefore, it is essential to develop a response plan, identifying the main cyber risks and developing the processes that will be done if you become a victim of hacker action.
Conclusion
The digital world is an environment that presents great opportunities, but also great risks for companies. In the last two years, the intensification of activities by digital criminals has shown that this scenario is far from being modified, on the contrary. Throughout the pandemic, the number of cyber attacks increased by more than 200% in some regions.
Don’t let your company be just another statistic. Through simple yet effective measures, it is possible to significantly reduce the risks of suffering virtual attacks, avoiding the serious damages that this type of action usually causes.
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Until next time.
