Protecting your company’s cybersecurity is a complex job that requires many different strategies. For example, you should ditch perimeter security and instead upgrade to a zero trust security model. In addition, protecting your company’s cybersecurity involves analyzing data to determine protections, understanding cloud storage, and creating clear cybersecurity protocols.
That’s a lot of work, and much of it requires help from an IT professional, but that doesn’t mean it all does. There are also some very simple things any business owner can do to enhance cybersecurity.
Reduce Systems
How many systems and programs does your business utilize? If you have been in business for at least a few years, chances are, you have accumulated dozens of different platforms. Although these systems may once have provided a valuable service to your company, they also provide threats with multiple ways to access your system.
Reduce the number of apps, programs, and systems you use for security, as well as the other types of programs that are active. Get rid of the ones that no one uses anymore, and look for programs that are redundant.
It may also be a good opportunity to see which systems can be consolidated, or if there are any new programs that can help you do that. New startups are entering the market all the time, so it pays to see what’s available and potentially helpful to your business that wasn’t available the year before.
Use a Password Manager
Passwords are an important component to cybersecurity, so why are people still choosing bad passwords? The answer is that remembering complex passwords is a nightmare, and it’s irritating to try and remember new passwords when you’re required to change them so frequently.
Do yourself a favor and invest in a password manager. This program will encourage you to choose complex passwords because when it’s time to log into a website, you only have to remember the password for your password manager and not all of the individual passwords you have for each application.
Not only should you use a password manager, you should also invest in providing your employees with a password manager. That way they are encouraged to create complex passwords too.
Train Employees in Email Scams
Everyone thinks they are immune to email phishing scams, but the fact is people fall for scams every single day. That’s because scammers are getting really good at being convincing, and they change their strategies all the time.
Make sure your employees don’t accidentally provide hackers with an easy way into your system by providing regular training on the subject. That way they know what to look for, they know what to do if they think they are being phished, and they understand the importance of scrutinizing emails and messages before taking action.
Take Access Seriously
Who has access to what information at work? Although giving everyone the same access makes things simple, it also opens holes for hackers to compromise your cybersecurity. Instead, everyone should have a level of access that is appropriate for their position.
Role based access enables you to provide access to employees based on their role in your company. That removes the possibility of employees feeling like you’re playing favorites, and it reduces the number of ways hackers can gain access to your data.
Part of taking access seriously is making sure you review who has access to what on a regular basis. If a role within your organization no longer needs access to certain data, or if an employee leaves your company for a new opportunity, it’s important to change passwords and change access controls.
Perform All Updates On Time
It is extremely important to perform all updates on time, even if you would rather put them off for another day. That’s because updates can:
- Protect against new security risks
- Introduce new software features
- Improve performance speed
- Extend your equipment and software’s usable life
- Fix bugs to improve functionality
The best way to make sure you and everyone else performs updates when they are recommended is to have all updates completed automatically. Schedule these updates overnight when everyone is in bed and updates will never interfere with productivity.
A lot of what goes into cybersecurity is complex and it can be hard to understand, but that’s not the case with all cybersecurity methods. Even if your understanding of IT-related topics is limited, you can still use these five simple tips to make your business safer on the internet.
