If your business resolved to improve its cybersecurity in 2021, kudos to you. Far too many organizations don’t take cyberattacks seriously enough, and the price of such neglect can be costly. On top of many companies taking cybersecurity too lightly, 2020 brought us a pandemic that changed the way millions of professionals work. With more employees than ever telecommuting for work now and continuing to do so for the foreseeable future, businesses face additional challenges in keeping their data and network safe.
Here are some relatively simple measures your business can employ to help prevent you from falling victim to cyberattacks.
Utilize a Virtual Private Network (VPN) – If your employees are working remotely, you need to offer VPN connections to protect yourself. VPNs provide a safe passage for remote employees, offering secure, encrypted access between their computer and your company’s internal network, data, and systems. By encrypting your data with a VPN, it will be useless to hackers or other bad actors should they gain access to it. A VPN can easily be installed on your network and the PCs your employees use for work to safely and securely access your company’s network.
Require the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) – When it comes to the integrity of your data, usernames and passwords are not nearly enough. After all, login credentials can be compromised relatively easily. People are prone to choosing weak passwords, repeating them across various sites, and even writing them down and leaving them near their computers. That’s why it’s important to have another layer of security in the form of an MFA or 2-step authentication that requires multiple credentials to prevent unauthorized access.
Don’t overlook insider threats – When it comes to cybersecurity, don’t forget to look within. Threats can come from within your company as well as outside of it. In fact, according to Cybersecurity Insiders’ 2020 Insider Threat Report, 70 percent of organizations have experienced one or more insider attacks within the last 12 months. Making matters worse, research and advisory firm Forrester claims the increase in the remote workforce will serve to increase the risk of insider threats. That’s why companies need to recognize the threat their employees present and ensure their employees only have access to the data they need to do their job.
No company can afford to let its guard down when it comes to cybersecurity. If you’d like help increasing your company’s network security, contact the IT professionals at Golden Gate Office Solutions today.
