No matter how big or small your business is, these days there is always a risk that you could fall prey to some form of cyber-attack. These threats are more common than many business owners may realise, and they pose a real risk to both your company’s security and its reputation.
In 2021 and 2022 alone, 39% of UK businesses were the victims of an attack. One in five of those incidents involved a sophisticated form of attack, such as malware and ransomware.
If you are worried that your own company’s cybersecurity is not as robust as it should be, don’t worry. There are a number of things you can do to shore up your defences and lower your risk of an attack. Here are 8 helpful tips to get you started.
- Strengthen Your Passwords
So-called ‘weak’ passwords provide an easy entry point for cybercriminals to break into your business network and sabotage your sensitive information. It’s vital that you and your employees devise strong passwords for all business accounts, and that you keep those passwords securely stored. For example, by employing a password manager such as LastPass.
- Train Your Staff
One of the most valuable defence strategies you can employ against cyber threats is the education of your staff members. Employees who don’t know how to spot the warning signs of an attack will not be able to protect their account – and the company’s vital data – against a breach, making it much more likely that you will fall prey to an unwanted incursion. Holding regular cybersecurity training sessions will help to ensure that all of your staff are well-versed in spotting and warding off potential threats, such as phishing emails, which are the most common form of attack.
- Call In The Experts
Arguably the most effective way to strengthen your cybersecurity is to employ professional help, such as the bespoke solutions provided by Totality Services, which offers IT support in London. Their UK based IT support services can assess the current strength of your cybersecurity, create a detailed proposal with strategies for improvement, and then work with you to ensure that those strategies are seamlessly put in place. The result? Your business will be able to meet the highest standards of cybersecurity.
- Update Your Software
You may not realise it, but if you are using out-of-date software and equipment, you could be putting yourself at much greater risk of cyber-attack. Software needs to be updated on a regular basis, in order to ensure the highest levels of security, as well as to provide a more effective service. Make sure you implement any software ‘patches’ unveiled by the developers on a regular basis, to improve your defences against a cyber breach, and replace ageing equipment with newer models.
- Make Approved Connections Your Workplace Policy
If your company offers remote or hybrid working opportunities to employees, then you need to be aware of the potential cybersecurity risks that can go along with this policy. For instance, if your staff members use personal networks and devices for their daily work tasks, they may not be as secure as those at your workplace. As a result, you may wish to make a policy of only using approved Internet connections and devices for work. For example, you can set up a workplace VPN with carefully guarded log-in details that only you and your staff members have access to. They can then log into this VPN when they are working from home, thereby ensuring a more secure connection.
- Employ Multi-Factor Authentication
These days, sometimes even strong passwords aren’t enough to protect sensitive information from determined hackers. To make the log-in process even more secure, you may wish to adopt multi-factor authentication, particularly when it comes to conducting business transactions or gaining access to company software accounts. Multi-factor authentication simply means that more than one form of passcode is required. So, for example, you may require your staff to have their identity authenticated via an email or text as well as their password, or you may wish to use memorable information.
- Secure Your Premises
It may sound extreme, but to protect your network and devices against a breach, it can help to keep your business premises well-secured too, particularly if you handle very sensitive information. This could entail providing special IDs for all of your employees, or using access codes to enter and exit the building.
- Use Monthly Backups
Many of us understand how important it is to back-up our data, but we may neglect this essential process amid the hustle and bustle of daily business. However, it’s vital that you make offline backups a monthly undertaking if you want to ensure that your sensitive information is well-protected. Back up all of your data both to the cloud and locally to maximise protection, and test your backup process on a regular basis to make sure it remains robust.
Final Thoughts
Cyber-attacks are a major threat to UK companies of all sizes and across all industries. Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to protect your business, including the 8 strategies detailed above. By employing these security measures, you will lower your risk of attack and improve the security of your vital data.
