5 Tips to improve your company’s cybersecurity
Many companies think that nothing will ever happen to them. That it is only the large servers of large companies that are at risk from cyber-attacks. However, cybersecurity is necessary for everyone.
The truth is that cybercriminals have no qualms about breaching the security of a company’s computer system.
In this post we would like to give you some tips to be more careful when it comes to protecting the security of your computers.
What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity consists of a set of security measures aimed at protecting our confidential information stored on our computers.
Measures as simple as telling Windows to ask for a password before logging in are cybersecurity measures. But, for example, having our passwords in a visible place where anyone who enters the office can write them down and log in from home would be a huge security breach that we cannot allow.
Cybersecurity has to always be based on prevention; you have to be suspicious and put yourself in the worst possible situation. Not because the neighbor is necessarily going to do industrial espionage on us, but simply to avoid the mere possibility of it happening.
Let’s look at some basic cybersecurity tips that you could put in place right now in your business.
1. Never give out confidential information over the Internet
One of the risks you may face is being contacted by a so-called company by e-mail or even by telephone asking you for confidential information.
In all cases, you can easily verify that they are not who they claim to be. For example, the sender of the email never comes from a real company email (Bank, Light Company, Google, etc.). It has, however, a similar domain or with some variation.
2. Do not install programs if you do not know the source
Another source of viruses is the software we download from the Internet believing it to be harmless. Perhaps you think you are downloading an antivirus, but what you are actually downloading is dangerous malware disguised as an antivirus.
On the net you can’t take any chances. Never download anything from Internet from an unknown manufacturer. In time you will learn to avoid download websites and always opt for downloading programs from the manufacturer’s official website, or purchase paid software.
3. Avoid connecting to unauthorized networks
Innocently, through your cell phone, you can connect to an open Wifi computer network where other people are working. Wifi networks are a danger to your privacy. If you connect with your business laptop or smartphone to open Wifi networks, you run the risk that someone can monitor your Internet activity, copy your passwords, get information about you, etc.
4. Create passwords that are difficult to guess
One of the methods used by crackers to guess passwords is through ‘brute force’. It consists of trying out passwords until they find the right one. If it turns out that the password is easy to guess (it is the same username, for example), they will get in wherever they want before you know it.
Hackers do not spend their lives entering passwords to test to see if they work, they have programs that automatically test passwords. We must protect our servers to prevent this type of attack from occurring, in addition to creating passwords that are difficult to guess.
5. Use an antivirus and a firewall.
Do you connect to the Internet with your company’s Windows computer and without antivirus installed? That’s brave. The truth is that you are taking a huge risk and you should take action. You need to have the necessary security systems in place to prevent viruses from entering your computer or to be able to remove them.
On the other hand, the firewall is another essential part of your computer’s security. It will allow you to stop external attacks from other computers from which someone is trying to connect to your computer.
Is your company secure?
The most dangerous thing about cybersecurity is that right now you could be being spied on and you don’t know it. You could have unauthorized programs installed on your computer that are slowing down your computer or performing illicit activities from your computer. You could be part of a botnet without even realizing it.
This is serious enough that, if you’ve never stopped to think about the. cybersecurity start doing it now. Ask yourself if with the security system you have right now in your business computers you have a secure company.
What information is not secured and you could lose if tomorrow there is a security breach? Could you have important economic losses? Would you lose necessary documentation for your business (databases, invoices, contracts…)?
Backups are an essential part of any security system. If you are not developing backup copies of the most important files on your computer, you risk a misfortune yourself.
