It is predicted that cyber crime damages would reach USD6 trillion annually by 2021. (Source: DemontInsurance) Could your business become the victim? Before that happens, you need to act! Don’t give any advantage to hackers.
Fortunately, there are several tools and techniques available today which could thwart the cyber attack threat significantly. Here are a few most effective ways:
Keep the Backup of Files
This is the most basic rule to follow with respect to cyber security. Even if your data is held to ransom, you can restore the backup files and show a backdoor to the attacker. Have you heard of the 3-2-1 rule of backup? It goes like this – create at least three copies in two different formats with one of those copies off-site. So, you can store two copies in cloud tools such as Google Drive or Dropbox, while the third copy should be uploaded to the external hard drive or portable USB hard drive.
Implement Anti-virus and Internet Security Solutions
Ask your cyber security team to install anti-virus, intrusion detection devices and e-commerce security software. There are plenty of them available in the market, buy only the ones which cater to your specific business needs. Do note that the versions keep getting updated every few months. So make sure your systems stay updated too with the latest version. The information on these tools can be easily found in cyber security courses online.
Stay Away from Email Spams
Since phishing is the most common source of internet attacks, sensitize the employees to open every email with care. Instruct them to not to open an email which looks suspicious and has come from the unauthorized/unknown source. They should simply report it to the IT team.
Use Data Encryption
You should invest in data-encryption tools to enhance the safety of your online data. Usually, most operating systems have this feature. If not, then you should switch to the one which offers the same. Keeping data-encryption feature on means that every piece of information that is shared on the system is encrypted into secure data. It makes it harder for hackers to gain access.
Design a Strong Incident Response Plan
If the hacker is too smart for your good, your systems can still fall prey to attacks. In order to handle such eventualities, you need to design a strong incident response plan as a part of cyber security strategy. Your response should not be defensive, rather responsive when the attack happens.
Even if you have a cyber security expert on the payroll, it would be a good idea to have a bit of knowledge yourself. Sign up for cyber security certifications if possible!
