Some of the biggest companies, including Facebook, Estee Lauder, Microsoft, Marriott, and LiveJournal, have suffered cybersecurity incidents in the last two years. No company can claim to be entirely invincible from hackers, and it is high time that businesses focus on preventing security breaches, rather than managing consequences. Here are the steps that every company can take for better cybersecurity.
Get a cybersecurity expert
It is rather unrealistic to expect the management to handle cybersecurity from scratch when they don’t have the necessary experience. Instead of struggling with different requirements and compliance, consider hiring a cybersecurity expert. There are many companies that are managing cybersecurity for other businesses, and they can bring the necessary experience and expertise to the table.
Focus on cybersecurity training
Employees are eventually handling all major IT resources and are on the frontlines of cybersecurity. They need to know the basic things – common threats, risks, concerns and ways to mitigate the same. Businesses need to focus on cybersecurity training and spend more on making employees aware and informed. From regular workshops on new threats and phishing simulations to making cybersecurity training a part of onboarding process, every step counts.
Password security should be a priority
Gone are times when an 8-character password was more than enough. This is the time for passphrases, with at least 16 characters. Make sure that your employees know the dos and don’ts of creating strong passwords, recommend them a password management tool, and ensure that all default passwords and other details are changed immediately. Also, passwords must never be repeated or reused.
Consider additional authentication
Sometimes, despite the best efforts, things can go wrong. However, just because a hacker has accessed a password doesn’t mean they can cause a breach, as long as multifactor authentication is in place. MFA can help in enhancing cybersecurity to the next level. Consider adding security questions and onetime passwords for authentication.
Protect your hardware and software
It is important to install all software and firmware updates as soon as available. These patches often fix vulnerabilities, which can be otherwise exploited by hackers. Secondly, reduce access to hardware and ensure that all networked devices are placed behind firewalls. As needed, antimalware and antivirus suites can be considered. There are also software products meant to counter ransomware attacks.
Finally, do create a cybersecurity incident response plan, so as to manage the consequences of a breach, if one happens.
