Cyber security threats are all around us from hackers causing mischief to organised crime syndicates pursuing financial gain to nation-states conducting espionage.
As tech grows at a rapid pace year on year, security practices that used to be perfectly good cyber workplace practices a decade ago may instead be easier to breach today.
You’ll be surprised to notice you’re doing more harm than good to your business by inadvertently following these outdated cybersecurity workplace practices.
1. Thinking Your Business is Too Small to Be a Target
Size doesn’t matter when it comes to cyber-attacks. You’re only fooling yourself if you think your business is too small a target to be worthwhile. The reality is that everyone can be a target.
2. Relying on Outdated Cybersecurity Tools
If you’re currently using software like firewall and antivirus, you may want to invest in more up-to-date technology to either provide additional layers of security or replace them entirely.
3. Downloading Software from the Source
Downloading apps directly from the manufacturer assures that the software is genuine. This also ensures that the software hasn’t been tampered with.
4. Ignoring Software Updates
Updating software can be a hassle. It can be both time-consuming and expensive — but ultimately worthwhile as it often comes with security updates for that software. Ignoring these updates can, therefore, allow hackers to exploit known vulnerabilities that should have already been addressed.
5. Frequently Changing Passwords
Changing passwords regularly is sound advice when it comes to cybersecurity. An ever-changing password makes it harder for hackers to crack. However, this only works if you’re doing it correctly because people tend to create easy-to-remember passwords.
6. Relying on Two-factor Authentication
Your company can opt for multi-factor authentication (MFA) instead of 2FA.To prevent hackers from gaining access to your username and password. MFA usually involves factors such as knowledge (something only the user knows), possession (something only the user has), and inherence (something the user and only the user is).
7. In-house Servers Only
In any case, besides requiring progressively capital for equipment and foundation, in-house servers are additionally increasingly defenseless to information misfortune during fiasco circumstances. This is the reason a lot of the present current programming is cloud-facilitated. Most cloud-facilitating administrations can give precisely what your business needs all while keeping your information secure in case of robbery, fiasco, and so on.
8. Focusing Only on Technology
Everyone involved, from rank-and-file to the CEO, has to be aware of the best company cybersecurity practices. You can limit employees’ access to sites, but they’ll bypass those prohibitions with a VPN if they don’t understand WHY certain websites are prohibited.
9. Reversing What Employees Learned at a Corporate Training Session
The problem with corporate training sessions is that employees can miss a lot of information by just missing one training session. Employees may become confused or frustrated and instead resist the current policies if they weren’t made aware of such changes.
10. Making Everything too Complex
“Sometimes less is more.”
This is especially true in cybersecurity. A simpler infrastructure means implementing only the most important features. This can help ensure that new applications work well with the rest of the tools in your business.
As technology evolves, cyber-attacks and cybersecurity are constantly looking to gain the upper hand over the other. Protect your company against cyber threats, follow best practices and be vigilant at all times.
#StayCyberSafe
Shaunak Mody, Co-founder at Tixter Cyber Solutions.
Follow Trixter on LinkedIn for regular cybersecurity-related updates.
