Over 50% of all businesses have been hit with ransomware attacks in the past year.
There were 38% more cybersecurity incidents detected this year than the year prior.
60% of businesses that suffered a cyber attack go out of business in 6 months.
Only 38% of businesses believed they were sufficiently prepared for a cyber attack.
Cybersecurity is no laughing matter. There’s a lot at stake for businesses when it comes to technology and data security.
Cybersecurity isn’t always the most glamorous or exciting subject, but it’s one that needs plenty of attention. We wanted to share a few ways that you can protect your businesses and your personal data from cyber threats. These tips are only the beginning, and a robust cybersecurity plan often requires some help from expert IT technicians.
Build Security In Layers
Many people assume that because they have put up an antivirus or a firewall that they are protected. Humans and software can both make mistakes, that’s why we recommend creating multiple layers of software, hardware, and procedures to protect your data.
Building your digital security in layers is one of the key ways to prevent hackers from accessing your data. A breach is less likely to occur when a hacker has to try and get through multiple levels of security. If one point of protection fails, then the next line can pick it up. You need to look at having antivirus, antiransomware, firewalls, email filters and training against common phishing techniques. All of these things working together make for better cybersecurity.
Keep Passwords Long
It’s a common misconception that your password needs a letter, special character, and capital to be secure. In fact, the professor that came up with those password rules has said that he was “barking up the wrong tree” with those password guidelines.
What’s more important than crazy characters that you can’t remember is the length of your password. We recommend using a passphrase, something like “ElephantLimeOrange” or “TypoJumpApple”. These phrases can be easier to remember and because of their length, are more secure.
Get Anti-Ransomware Products
There are several products on the market that do a great job at preventing ransomware and other harmful viruses. Sophos and Malwarebytes are two that we recommend. These products were ahead of the curve in preventing some of the most recent attacks such as the KRACK Wi-Fi vulnerability and the WannaCry ransomware.
Many of these softwares are using more advanced blocking and protection techniques such as behavior blocking. Behavior blocking is when an antivirus program will look for a variety of suspicious behaviors from a program and shut it down immediately if it’s detected. This is a step above simply getting a list of virus signatures and names and trying to keep those names out.
Beware of Common Email Scams
The last tip we wanted to share was some caution about email. Email is currently the preferred method for cyber attacks. Protecting against email threats is as much about training as it is technology. Many times hackers will use emails that come from URLs that are almost identical to the company’s URL. Our CEO wrote a story about this technique that you can read more about here. Hackers will also disguise links to malicious websites in innocent looking buttons or URLs. It’s important to hover over a link before clicking it. While hovering your mouse over a link you can see the full URL, and if it’s one you really want to visit.
With these things in mind and in practice, you’ll be much more protected against the growing threat of cybercriminals. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get breaking cyber attack updates, expert insights and more!
