Cyberattacks have been becoming more common over the last decade or so. Before technology, if people wanted to infiltrate a business they had to get creative and find physical ways to get the information that they wanted. Now, because of the development in technology, this is no longer the case.
It’s easier than ever to attack a business using tech, and cyber attackers have no problems doing just that. Recently, cyberattacks have become even more of an issue with ongoing situations escalating all over the world, and it’s more important than ever to protect your business.
Why It’s Such a Concern
Technology has done a lot of wonderful things for the world, but it has also made it easier to attack each other. With the current events in Russia and Ukraine, it is becoming more of a concern that there will be more cyber attacks on American businesses. This comes from the sanctions that America has imposed on Russia, and it is the worry that there will be retaliation in the form of cyber attacks.
The hacker group Anonymous has been publicly hacking into Russian TV and channels over the last couple of weeks, and have since declared a cyber war on Russia. While this is a group of anonymous professionals, and not a state sanctioned attack, there will likely be plenty of hackers targeting businesses through ransomware or even through infrastructure in response.
Encrypt And Backup Your Data
So, what can you do to protect your business as much as possible? First, you want to encrypt and backup your data as quickly as you can so that even hackers have a hard time getting through the encryption. Also, you need to make sure that you have copies of your data in case any ransomware infects your business devices or network.
Ensure that the copies are saved somewhere completely separate so that you can still access them and do not have to even consider giving in to the ransomware demands that have been set.
If you’re not sure how to encrypt your data, then you need to hire a professional to help you. This is one of the best steps that you can take to make sure that even if someone breaches your business, they can’t get anything from you.
Make Sure You Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are key. If you are constantly using passwords that are generic or easy to guess, then it’s going to be all too easy for someone to gain access to your business files when they shouldn’t be able to. If you want to be even more secure, you can try changing the passwords every week.
The best option that we can think of is that you use a password generator to stop yourself from accidentally or subconsciously using the same password, or same kind of password that you have used before.
Conduct Regular Audits On Your Security
There is nothing wrong with checking that everything is working how it should be. The last thing that you need is to encounter a problem that could have been avoided. You can hire professionals to do this, and we highly recommend that you do, seeing as they are the ones who know what to look out for.
These professionals will tell you where there is a crack or flaw in your security, and they will advise you on how to fix it. If they can not determine how to fix it, you can hire an expert who will fix the flaws that have been determined in the audit. Sometimes, these professionals may even pick up some additional concerns, making your security as tight as possible.
While going through your audits, also ensure that you have the correct cyber liability insurance in place. This should always be a part of the cybersecurity plan, and if not, then you need to make some changes as soon as possible.
Educate Your Employees on Cybersecurity
It’s important to know that everyone in your business knows how to protect themselves when they are online. If this means that you decide to send them on a course to ensure that they understand everything they need to, then make sure you do this. Send them on refresher courses as well, to keep them up to date.
The more employees that practice cyber hygiene, the better it is going to be for your business. It’s no good having these professional measures put into place if you have employees who don’t know what they are doing, and click on things that infect the network. Of course, not all of them are obvious and it’s not always the employees’ fault, but the more educated they are, the less likely you are to face problems.
Keep Everything Updated
The last thing that we are going to mention is that you should keep everything updated as often as possible. As soon as you notice that there is an update for either the software or the device itself, make sure that it gets sorted.
You don’t want to be one of those people who regularly delays the updates, thinking that everything will be fine, and it turns out that it has a security fix on it. If something detrimental happens to your business because you couldn’t be bothered to update it, you will not forgive yourself for it.
Prepare for Cyberattacks Now
The situation is only getting worse as time progresses, and it’s for this reason that you should be extremely concerned with cyber attacks if you are a business. The last thing that you need is to be on the receiving end of a data breach lawsuit, as this could cost your company hundreds of thousands.
Stay safe online to the best of your ability, and your business is going to thank you for this. For more information about cyber liability insurance, click here.