Most businesses today use cyber technology to retain, access and utilize data. With this in mind, companies should be savvier with the techniques they use to fight off cybercriminals. Training employees and equipping them with the knowledge to spot cybercriminal tactics is important to fend off a potential company data breach. Fortunately, there are a few tips to follow when it comes to preventing someone from breaking into company files and stealing important information.
Train Your Employees
With employees on the front lines of cybersecurity, it’s important that every single worker is trained on cyber security best practices. Whether an employee is cyber-savvy or only use their computer for their timecard, all employees should be trained on company protocol for dealing with cyber criminals and best practices to follow when working on company devices.
While there are professionals to come in and prep your team on your new policy, there are many articles online about how to promote these teachings to your team.
Spot Phishing Tactics
Cybercriminals who use phishing tactics utilize emails and malicious websites to trick users into unknowingly downloading malware or viruses to devices. By getting users to click on the links promoted in emails, an attachment could possibly download harmful viruses to your devices. These emails look as if they are coming from a legitimate source in order to trick people into clicking harmful links without realizing the damage they’re doing.
For example, one could receive an email from Netflix saying that his or her password needs to be updated. The email has Netflix branded attributes and prompts the recipient to click on a link that would redirect them to the Netflix page, where they could quickly change their password. Unfortunately, this email could be from a cybercriminal who is trying to hack your device.
To make sure you’re avoiding these types of tactics, just delete the email. If you’re suspicious of an email or text message, simply mark it as spam, block the sender, and delete the message. That way there’s no way you’ll accidentally run across it again and the sender’s message won’t come into your inbox.
Use Antivirus Software
There are various options when it comes to security technology, but no matter which you decide to go with, antivirus software is the best option for protecting your devices from any malicious viruses. Antivirus software downloaded on a device is able to detect any malicious files as soon as they are clicked on, while simultaneously scanning your device for any viruses that have already been downloaded to your device. Whether they are already on your computer or about to downloaded, antivirus software helps delete malware files before it’s too late.
Many companies lean toward this type of software because it catches the problem before there’s time to know it even happened. Many programs even use virtual machines to find the threats on your computer with just a click of a button. This process is called “emulation” and many programs use it to keep the software from disrupting the user experience of those using antivirus software.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
We hear it all the time that we need to make sure our passwords are up to date. Following best practices for creating secure passwords by using characters, letters, and numbers is something we all should know by now. But sometimes passwords aren’t enough to keep your accounts secure.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a great tool for keeping your accounts safe by making sure you’re the only person who can access them. This security enhancement makes it so that two pieces of credentials are presented when signing into an account. Some MFAs are applications one can download or they could be in the form of a code that’s texted or sent in an email. No matter which way it’s presented, MFAs are a great option when it comes to keeping your accounts and personal information secure.
Many of us are lucky and haven’t had to deal with cyber security issues. However, with cybercriminals on high alert, we should never let our guard down. While personal information is always something we should keep safe, we need to remember that company information is just as vulnerable to cybercrime. With these few tips, you can be sure to keep your company devices out of cyber-harm’s way.
