Whether your company is large or small data security is always an issue which should be taken seriously. The number of hacking attempts continues to increase and these can be broken down into two main camps. The first wishes to cause a great deal of malicious damage and to either bring down your website or disrupt your internal IT systems. The second’s aim is to steal your personal and financial details to commit fraud. This is why it’s important to consider your Cyber Security Solutions and see if they are working to keep your information safe.
If you are in any doubt that the risk is real you only need to look at the number of high profile cases which appear regularly in the media. In November 2014, Sony announced that its network had been breached by hackers. This led to the exposure of not only employment and salary records but also potentially embarrassing emails between senior Hollywood executives. The case led to a drop in the company’s share price and damage to the reputation of many individuals.
In September of the same year Home Depot, a huge business in the USA, announcedthat 109 million of their customers’ records had been stolen, this included emails and even more seriously credit card numbers. The company’s stock price fell alongside consumers’ trust when it came to making purchases online.
If these figures send shock waves through you it is unsurprising, especially when you realise that numerous small businesses and individuals are targeted every day alongside these global brands. However, don’t despair, as there are steps you can implement to reduce drastically your risk of experiencinga cyber-attack.
Anti-Virus Software
Your first line of defence should be a firewall which should then be reinforced by anti-virus software. As malware is constantly evolving, the anti-virus software needs to do the same and therefore it is important you update it frequently. Set the software to update and to run scans automatically that way human error won’t leave you open to vulnerabilities.
Your network, Wi-Fi and any applications should also be protected by robust passwords. These need to be at least 15 characters and comprised of a mixture of letters, numbers and special characters. Implement HR policies which force your employees to change their passwords regularly and make it a disciplinary offence to share their passwords with anyone, including colleagues.
VoIP Communication
With a number of high profile telephone hacking scandals receiving coverage in recent times, many people are turning to VoIP providers for a solution. VoIP has brought us so much in terms of greater flexibility in our communications, including: video calls and videoconferencing; webinars; online chat; instant messaging; and even screen share. However, naturally any communication which takes place over the internet is open to snooping. Therefore, it’s important to ensure your VoIP connection is encrypted.
If your employees ever use your network from external locations, for example from home or while they are travelling, then a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, can provide another level of security.
Cloud Hosting
You can further improve security for your data by choosing to host it in the cloud. This has two advantages. The first is that the company you select will offer multiple levels of security, preferably to ISO standards, and this will usually be a higher level of protection than you have in-house. The second advantage is that by storing data in the cloud it means it is backed up daily, so even if you suffer a loss or an attack, you can restore your systems almost immediately.
You do, however, need to choose your cloud host wisely, as you will hold less direct control over their day to day processes. Personal recommendation is always a good indicator but you should also look at their uptime history; what security and backup procedures they have in place; whether they own their own data centres; and finally whether the data is encrypted. This final point gives you a much higher level of security should the cloud provider themselves ever suffer a cyber-attack.
We hear about loss of data, denial of service attacks and online fraud all the time, but unless it affects us personally it’s easy to dismiss. However, if the cyber-attacks on global companies teach us anything, it’s that you can never be too vigilant when it comes to the security of your own business.
