Online security, aka cyber security, involves protecting your business’s sensitive information and critical systems from unauthorised access and theft.
With data networks being almost universal, fraudsters are becoming more and more innovative with their scams. Every day, countless cyber criminals scan unsecured or poorly secured networks, looking for an opportune moment to attack.
However, with the right approach, your organisation can easily defend itself from such attacks. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to improve online security within your company.
In this article, we’ll examine six online security tips and ways to improve cyber security within your business. By adopting these measures, you can take a proactive step towards keeping your business safe.
Let’s begin!
1) Change Passwords Regularly
Changing passwords is one of the easiest ways you can improve online security. Experts recommend that this be done every three months, at a minimum.
Common or simple passwords are easy to crack, making your business more vulnerable to cyber attacks. By regularly changing your passwords, you can eliminate any self-set passwords, such as ‘password’ or the names of family pets, that may be easy to guess.
The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) recommends using three random words to create a strong password, for example, CatYellowSoup. You can include numbers and special characters where required (CatYell0wSoup@).
2) Invest in Antivirus and Anti-Spyware Software
Computer viruses, such as Trojans and keyloggers, target your information, processing power and digital details. There’s also a growing online industry of cyber criminals specialising in ransomware, selling business secrets and obtaining sensitive business information.
In the background of your network, there’s always the risk of software monitoring the keystrokes of your accounts department or looking at your details as you enter passwords. For this reason, investing in effective antivirus and anti-spyware software has become increasingly necessary.
Anti-virus and anti-spyware software can keep a constant lookout for immediate threats to ensure that your data is safe and secure.
3) Make Backups of Everything
One of the best ways to improve online security is to create backups of everything.
Think about how much your business relies on data, such as customer information, quotes and payment details. Now, imagine how your business would be able to operate if you were to lose them. To put it simply, it wouldn’t.
No business wants to fall victim to a cyber attack and lose everything they’ve worked so hard to achieve. That’s why all companies, regardless of size, need to make regular backups of their key data. You also need to ensure these backups are recent and can be restored.
If you have backups of your data that can be quickly recovered, you can’t be blackmailed by ransomware attacks. Regular backups ensure that your business can function properly, following any unexpected events such as floods, fires, physical damage or theft.
4) Encrypt All Data and Devices
Encryption is a simple yet highly effective way to improve online security within your organisation.
If you want to protect your business’s sensitive data from unauthorised access and maintain confidentiality and integrity, make sure you encrypt all your files. Whether they’re stored on a server, attached to emails or on portable devices, it’s best to encrypt your data whenever possible.
Additionally, all mobile devices used by employees to access company data must be fully encrypted, and sensitive data must be stored in an encrypted format. These measures ensure that every device is trustworthy.
5) Conduct a Security Audit
The process of locating and identifying your business’s weak points can be challenging, especially if you have a largely remote staff. It’s difficult to know if your employees are doing their due diligence to keep your accounts secure.
In these situations, there are so many moving parts that total security may be impossible. One of the best ways to test your online security is to hire a professional organisation or MSP to conduct a security audit.
Through these audits, you can determine your organisation’s most significant weaknesses and form strategies to combat these weaknesses moving forward.
6) Stay Current
With cyber security threats constantly changing, your company’s online security systems must also evolve. For this reason, it’s important to conduct periodic assessments to identify vulnerabilities and understand if any existing policies need to be verified.
Don’t be afraid to outsource your online security and IT support to an organisation whose job is to stay updated on new threats and potential risks. At Redpalm, we provide you with the latest IT security solutions to enhance cyber security and keep your data safe. Contact us to schedule an appointment.
With just a few simple precautions, your business can reduce the risk of cyber attacks and continue to thrive.
Contact Redpalm to Improve Online Security for Your Business!
Online security is a vital component of every organisation’s operations. With cyber criminals attempting to disrupt everyday business and steal sensitive information, it’s essential to take steps to improve online security.
At Redpalm, we provide effective IT security solutions that can help you protect your business against various cyber threats.
We pride ourselves on our role as a trusted cyber security partner that’s more than well-equipped with the essential technical expertise to identify and mitigate any security risks.
We also offer various other services, such as vulnerability assessments, cloud services, incident response, IT audits, health checks, and more.
To learn more about our services, click here or contact us to schedule an appointment today.