How to Protect Yourself from Cyber Attack this COVID-19 Season
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as_uNez04Bo
While the world faces the common threat of COVID-19, cybercriminals are working overtime to hack into personal information all over the globe using COVID-19 as a lure to mount attacks.
Employees are working remotely from home which has exponentially increased the exposure of the lack of security and protection on devices. They had to work from home on short notice and many aren’t working on company devices. Majority of businesses and slapped things together to try to adapt to the pandemic.
Every business in America is exposed now. It is just a matter of time when your business will be hacked. Cybercriminals will not stop.
Prior to Covid companies people only heard about major data breaches. For example, in 2019 a couple of the major ones were:
- Capital One. Number of records hacked: 100 million. …
- InQuest Diagnostics. Number of records hacked: 11.9 million.
If you are a small business, taking a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity may seem like something that can wait until your business grows. You might assume hackers will not bother with you. Don’t they focus on big corporations, with large databases and endless resources?
In fact, small businesses are the most common targets for hackers. According to Small business Group, more than 70% of cyber-attacks target small businesses.
This is partly because hackers tend to see small to medium size businesses as easy targets. Smaller enterprises are less likely to have the budget for serious cybersecurity practices and tech. On top of that, cyber theft is considered the fastest-growing crime in the US. All this means that, as a small business, it is in your interest to prioritize cybersecurity.
Note that your risk increases if your business relies on remote workers. The use of virtual teams is on the rise, but remote workers present unique cybersecurity challenges.
Today I would like to show you the Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Business from Hackers and benefit of hack-proofing your small business from cyber-attacks.
1. Use Appropriate Security Programs
The simplest way to start securing your business is by using up-to-date software. The constant updates can sometimes seem like a drag, but you should not start skipping them. Whilst it is possible to use software that’s not up to date, it may increase the chance of being hacked. Software developers are constantly adjusting their code and improving the security of the system against the latest malware. If you don’t stay on top of it, you put your business’ security under risk.
2. Make Sure Your Network is Under Lock
Your Wi-Fi network, if left unsecured, is basically a giant “please hack us” sign to hackers. Hackers use a technique called war driving, and it’s quite effective. War driving is when these hackers outfit their cars with high-powered antennas and drive around scanning for unlocked or poorly protected networks.
When these hackers find a vulnerable target, all your files, passwords, finances, are fair game and you’re left wondering what happened.
Of course, the best defense against an attack such as this is doing away with Wi-Fi altogether and rely strictly on wired networks. Of course, wired networks are more secure, but they’re not nearly as versatile.
3. Anti-Malware and Anto-Virus Programs are a Must
If the WannaCry in 2017 and Petya ransomware attacks have taught us anything, it’s that the need for professional anti-malware and anti-virus programs is an absolute must to protect your business from hackers.
Also, keeping programs and hardware up to date – from upgrading to newer routers and computers to immediately installing browser updates – blocks malicious worms that thrive in older equipment and out-of-date software.
4. Educate Your Employees
Your employees are already careful of locking the doors of the business premise and ensuring windows are closed in the afternoon. But they should also be as keen to “lock the doors” of your online operations as well.
Ensure cybersecurity is a key focus point to protect your business from hackers, not an afterthought. Whenever you are implementing a new approach or adding a new operational aspect for your business, consider it through cybersecurity. Your employees need to be trained and educated.
5. Know When You Need to Hire Experts to Protect Your Business from Hackers
Enlisting an outside expert can improve your odds of deflecting an attack. Though it may seem counterintuitive, small businesses can limit their exposure to cyber criminals by signing on with internet-based data-security vendors – especially as the quality of cloud-based business services evolves.
At Troinet, we have highly skilled team of engineers that have been customizing solutions for clients now for over 15 years. We leverage industry best practices for security policies and regulatory compliance and select best-in-class security products to minimize risk.
In short, we have all the tools needed to protect your business from hackers trying to crack your network. On top of that, we can help you use cloud computing to store backups of all your data off-site, so if by some chance your network is attacked, you’ll never have to worry about losing data.
Don’t let what happened and is happening to 70% of small to medium businesses happen to your company. This pandemic has exposed the majority businesses in the US.
For majority of companies it is not a matter of if it’s a question of when. The pandemic is enough of a disaster that has affected businesses financially. This one exposure could wipe a company out right now if it isn’t addressed immediately. Let us help you be proactive.
At Troinet, we have a highly skilled team of engineers that have been customizing IT Security and compliance solutions for clients now for over 15 years.
We customize a solution that matches your company’s goals to maximize business operations when it comes to technology, decrease operational expenses, and most importantly increase revenue. We offer a complimentary consultation and provide a complimentary assessment of your current technology set up for your company.
In short, we have all the tools needed to protect your business from hackers trying to crack your network. On top of that, we can help you use cloud computing to store backups of all your data off-site, so if by some chance your network is attacked, you’ll never have to worry about losing data.
Don’t let what happened and is happening to 70% of small to medium businesses happen to your company. This pandemic has exposed the majority of businesses in the US.
For the majority of companies, it is not a matter of if it’s a question of when. The pandemic is enough of a disaster that has affected businesses financially. This one exposure could wipe a company out right now if it isn’t addressed immediately. Let us help you be proactive.
My name is Aniko Giampietro. I am the Business Solutions Advisor for Troinet. To schedule your complimentary 15-minute consultation with our consultant click the link below.
