Strategies for Enhancing Your Business Cybersecurity

Business Cybersecurity

Enhancing Your Business Cybersecurity

The recent years have seen a tremendous spike in online criminal activities and attacks by nefarious hackers. The growing threats of ransomware and information theft, especially for companies and businesses, have come as a trade-off to the adoption of better technologies. With the centralisation of databases and automation of activities, more and more business operations are becoming dependent on computer systems. These systems, while designed to be foolproof, often have vulnerabilities and backdoors due to oversight and human errors.

Businesses today need to consciously pay attention to the data security of their systems. Most companies today are investing in separate cybersecurity teams that monitor and protect the company’s network. Such teams consist of good-guy hackers also known as “white hat” hackers that continuously test and update cybersecurity systems. Small and medium businesses might find it difficult to invest in their own data security teams; today there are lots of 3rd party data service and security providers in the market which can handle all their data security requirements.

In spite of employing the best data security teams, there are certain practices that businesses must adopt in their working processes and protocols that can enhance their data security measures. Small and medium businesses especially need to adopt robust and secure practices in lieu of expensive data security features which can help them protect their information. Some of the key strategies for ensuring the security of data are mentioned below.

  • Ensure discipline and security protocols: The first step in attaining high levels of data security is to establish clear protocols for access and operation. Employees must be given clear guidelines regarding their access to the network, sources of data and communication channels. Systems must be in place to check if employees deviate from the established protocols. One of the most dangerous cybersecurity attack tools is social-engineering. Employees are susceptible to this form of attack when they are communicating with someone over phone or people pretending to be new personnel. Clear identity confirmation protocols must be in place and employees must be empowered to confidently enquire about any unknown person that they encounter within the office premises.
  • Routine update of systems: With the growing popularity of SaaS or Software as a Service, more and more business operations are migrating their activities to software platforms. Businesses today employ a wide range of software services such as enterprise resource management, inventory management, workforce and operation scheduling and database management among others. All these systems come with built-in security features that need to be constantly updated. With time, newer threats are generated, and loopholes revealed. By constantly updating their systems, companies can stay one step ahead of the recent developments in cybercrime.
  • Train the employees: Having awareness and knowledge of basic cybersecurity trends and threats is vital in combating large-scale attacks on corporations. As mentioned above, since most of the operations today are carried out on software platforms, employees necessarily need to be aware regarding the various vulnerabilities and their corresponding solutions. Company employees must also be aware of the variety of cyber attacks and malware that plague the Internet such as phishing, DDOS and click-jacking among others.

No amount of strategising and advanced security features will help if the employees themselves serve as weak-points of the systems. Companies should invest in establishing backup facilities that routinely store and update the necessary database. Having a backup guard against locking and loss of data when the system comes under a cyber attack. The important thing is to cultivate an organisation-wide culture of vigilance. By proactively looking out for threats, companies can operate safely in these times of rising cybercrime.

Professional IT support London companies can protect businesses from all these cyber threats.