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Nowadays, all businesses conduct their operations (at least in part) in the online world. No matter if you run a small business or a global enterprise, or if digital is only a tiny part of your operation, there is no denying that investing in cybersecurity should be one of your top priorities. After all, there is no telling who might be trying to access your sensitive business data, and it only takes one successful cyber-attack to put your long-term survival in question. For these and many other reasons, you must invest in cybersecurity and address the biggest risks that might put your company and employees in danger.
To keep your company safe on all fronts, it’s essential to consider all security risks and focus on your entire operation. This includes elevating mobile and software security and addressing the problems of employee training and education, among other crucial steps you can take. With all that in mind, we are looking at the best cybersecurity practices you can implement to keep your business and employees safe.
Building a better password policy
Sometimes, some of your system’s most significant security holes can be right before you. When did you last ascertain the password strength for your business’s employee accounts, apps, tools, and devices? Once or never are the likeliest answers, but don’t worry, you’re not the only business leader who needs to take company-wide password management more seriously. Many companies allow their employees to create passwords, which are often way too weak to be anything more than a slight nuisance to experienced hackers and scammers.
You can handle this issue in two ways: instate a better password policy or integrate a password management tool and have it take over completely. Both are viable options, but the latter might prove to be a more prudent decision down the road. A password policy will take time to develop and implement, and you won’t be able to tell if everyone is on board.
On the other hand, simply integrating a password management tool allows you to take the matter out of your employees’ hands and have it create strong passwords for them. These passwords are all stored in a safe location, and you’ll always know that all devices and accounts are safe from unwanted entry.
Enabling two-factor authentication
Of course, even a strong password can betray you in many ways. For example, what if a device goes missing from your office or a password accidentally leaks? Someone might try to gain access to one of your company’s computers, smartphones, or IoT devices using an up-to-date password, which is why you need another layer of protection.
One of the most neglected areas of security is the lack of two-factor authentication, which adds a second layer of protection for all accounts and devices in your network. When you enable this feature, either through your in-house IT department or your cloud security system, every device in your company’s network will get some security barrier the user will have to overcome. This can be a security question, a second PIN, a verification code sent to a smartphone, or any other security measure.
Leveraging enterprise-level protection
No matter the size of your business, you need to take a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity. You might think you don’t need comprehensive cybersecurity just because you’re running a small business. Still, as we’ve mentioned before, the online world is becoming more dangerous for companies of all sizes yearly.
That’s why migrating to the cloud would be a good idea to get the best and latest security measures and why opting for enterprise firewall protection with complete network visibility, layered security, real-time detection, and other features is a wise investment. Be sure to check if your cloud provider offers added security and enterprise-level protection that you can integrate into your operation to take your cybersecurity to the next level.
Rely on comprehensive cybersecurity education
Of course, you can’t rely on technology to solve all of your cybersecurity problems. Sometimes, the most significant threats can come from your employees simply not knowing how to stay safe online. Remember that your employees can be the weakest links in your cybersecurity system, and it only takes a single phishing scam to make one of your team members give away sensitive business data.
This is why you should train your employees in IT security and invest in cybersecurity education for your entire employee collective. Your employees must know how to handle and store sensitive business data, spot potential scams, and keep themselves safe online. You can’t expect them to know all this independently, so conduct workshops and seminars to educate them on essential cybersecurity practices.
Integrate a web monitoring tool
No matter how well-educated they are on cybersecurity, you can’t rely on your employees to keep your company safe against every threat in the online world. Instead, you need to monitor their online behavior and retain complete control of your company’s network by integrating a secure web gateway that will allow you to respond to potential threats immediately. The right web filtering tool will allow you to restrict access to non-work-related websites, which will further help keep your employees out of harm’s way.
Back up your business data regularly
Last but not least, it is imperative that you back up your company data regularly. If you have an in-house IT team, make sure they conduct regular backups to ensure your business stays online and operational at all times.
On the other hand, if you’re working with a cloud provider, check how often your data is backed up on the servers and what security measures are in place to ensure data availability for your business. This will ensure you experience zero downtime and can resume your operation quickly in a disaster.
Wrapping up
Elevating cybersecurity should be the top priority for 2020 and the future. Invest in these solutions to protect your company and employees against all present and future online threats.