Do you have processes in place to prevent or at least reduce the risk of a cyber attack? No matter who you are, where you work, or what industry you are in, there is a 100% guarantee that your business will experience a cyber attack at some point in time. It happens to everyone, but what matters is how you handle the attack and how you manage your cyber security. Here are six critical tips that may help prevent a cyber attack from impacting your business.
1. Penetration Testing & Vulnerability Assessments
Penetration testing and vulnerability assessments can help detect weaknesses in your IT system that may make your business susceptible to cyber attacks. Performing a vulnerability assessment helps identify where there are weaknesses within your organization’s network, creating detailed reports that give you a description of the vulnerability, details regarding the affected systems, and recommendations on how to correct the vulnerability. Running a penetration test helps you evaluate the security of your current system by authorizing a simulated cyber attack on your company’s computer system. The test determines potential risks in your network, enabling a full risk assessment to determine where there may be doors open for hackers to get into your infrastructure and how to resolve it.
2. Harden Your Network
Whether you have IT staff in-house or a third-party IT consultant, you want to make sure they are hardening your network to minimize exposure to common cyber threats. There are a couple ways you can harden your network, including enabling multi-factor authentication on all of your accounts, applications, and company websites to prevent unauthorized access. Websites and applications are usually protected by a single password, but multi-factor authentication requires that users provide at least two forms of evidence to prove their identity, including fingerprint or voice recognition and a password or pin.
Another way to harden your network is to use a firewall. Your business should never connect a network to the internet without installing a securely configured firewall. It is the first line of defense for any network that is connected to the internet, surveying and controlling incoming and outgoing network user traffic, establishing a barrier between a trusted network and untrusted network.
3. Patching Your Servers
Network operating systems are generally where hackers can find security holes in your infrastructure. Once your IT professionals discover the hole they release a software patch to fix the security risk. However, in most cases network administrators do not keep up with software patches. As a result, many networks become vulnerable because they have well-known holes in their security system that should have already been fixed but were overlooked. You need to make sure that you have a bulletproof security patching plan where you are patching everything in your network. Your IT professionals should set up a regular routine to patch your systems every month to reduce the risk of cyber threats.
4. Run Networking Monitoring Tools
There’s a potential risk that people can get into your network and quietly install key logging software where they are able to get passwords and confidential business information. Proactive network monitoring tools can pick up this kind of activity and alert you before they even get the chance to steal your data. It monitors your network in one secure platform so you can quickly identify risks that may impact your business. It constantly monitors your computer network for failing components and notifies the administrator in case of outages or security breaches. Network security tools assist in securing your network and monitoring your IT system to combat network threats.
5. Run Managed Antivirus & Anti-Spyware Software
Your company should be installing and regularly updating antivirus, anti-spyware, and anit-malware software on every computer. Your network is only as safe as you maintain it, so it’s important to close gaps where hackers are trying to penetrate your infrastructure. Antivirus tools are constantly updating and battling the latest threats. However, if every computer is not routinely updated, you leave your business at risk to a cyber attack that can quickly take down your whole network. It’s vital for your software to be managed and monitored to make sure someone on your team is dedicated to regularly updating all antivirus and ant-spyware software and watching out for security breaches.
6. Educate Your Employees on Cyber Security
The most important tip to prevent a cyber attack is to educate your employees on cyber security. Half the time many of these security breaches occur because an employee accidentally opened the door to your network. For example, an employee or executive may have opened a suspicious email and clicked on a spammy link that allowed an outside party to gain access to your system. You can prevent this from occurring by educating your employees on potential risks that could cause a cyber attack rather than solely relying on technical solutions to protect your network.
Cyber Security Services in New Jersey and Florida
Even though there may be a 100% chance of your company experiencing a cyber attack, doing all of these six tips can help minimize the risk of being impacted by an actual security breach. Planning ahead for a guaranteed attack can put you in a position to prevent hackers from infiltrating your system. If you would like to speak to an IT professional, please call our experts at Mindcore to learn more about our cyber security services. We can help you prevent cyber attacks by giving you the best advice and tools to protect your company. Contact us today for more information!
