It’s no secret that cybercrime is a great threat to any modern business, with damages expected to hit $10.5 trillion by 2025. Any company’s a target, even yours — but with the right security tools, practices, and protocols, you can significantly reduce your chances of falling prey to typical online schemes.
Below, we explore the common cybersecurity mistakes businesses make and how to avoid these to improve your protection.
Something as simple as one’s password habits can often lead to disastrous cybersecurity risks. Using the same code for all your accounts, for example, allows hackers to laterally move from one to the next once they gain access to a single account. It’s best to instead maintain unique passwords for each account. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), password managers can help relieve the burden of having to remember multiple codes on your own and generating new, effective codes when necessary.
When it comes to the quality of passwords, NIST additionally recommends focusing on length, rather than complexity. The longer a password is, the more resistant it is to brute force attacks.
You may also want to consider investing in multifactor authentication, which requires a second level of verification apart from a simple password.
One of the most effective ways to steal private information is by convincing your target to hand it over themselves. Also known as social engineering, this tactic is widely used by cybercriminals in trying to access your private data, often posing as a trusted figure (i.e., a government entity, a coworker,). This can also come in the form of phishing, in which users click on a link that leads to malicious downloads or fraudulent copies of otherwise trustworthy websites asking for their personal information.
Steer clear of these scams by looking out for these common red flags:
Additionally, it helps to verify with the supposed sender directly using another medium (e.g., via phone or video calls) to ensure they’re truly the ones who sent the message.
Few opportunities are as ripe for stealing data than a user with unprotected access to public Wi-Fi. While convenient, connecting to these unsecured networks can expose your information to prying eyes, with hackers able to get their hands on your location, financial accounts, and even your job status at a minimum. You’ll also leave your device exposed to malware, as scammers can easily sneak infected ads into websites you visit or run scripts that download malicious background apps without your consent.
A great way to avoid this is to invest in a trustworthy VPN service. It masks your real IP address and location, ensuring secure browsing when browsing on public Wi-Fi networks. A VPN also encrypts sensitive data such as passwords, PINs, and credit card information, making such data unreadable to unauthorized parties.
We’ve all procrastinated on downloading the latest software update, whether for an app, your drivers, or even your entire operating system. However, the sooner it’s installed, the greater your overall cybersecurity will be. Leaving your programs or systems unpatched makes them a prime target for hackers eager to exploit their security gaps and vulnerabilities.
To ensure minimal disruptions when updating your software, schedule updates at a time that suits you best. You could choose to have them take place outside of business hours (or during quieter time periods), so your systems will be in optimal condition by the time you get back to work.
Lastly, employees are often your first line of defense in cybersecurity. Therefore, you should invest in the necessary training to equip them with the skills and knowledge to defend against common cyberattacks, keeping them aware of the latest tactics and the best ways to handle them. This isn’t just limited to online practices, but everyday activity in the real world, as well. A well-trained employee will know better than to use suspicious devices or reveal sensitive information in water cooler conversations, for example.
Proper security education could also help avoid overreliance on your IT department. Employees will gain the confidence and skills to do their part in upholding a strong cybersecurity culture, helping minimize risk and stress to your overall organization.
Looking for a security boost? AllConnected offers a wide range of security solutions, from the basics of email security to comprehensive employee training. Don’t become another cybercrime statistic. Get in touch with our experts today, and discover how you can stay protected for the long haul.