How To Stay Safe From Cybersecurity Threats

Protect Your Company Data Webinar

June 25  1:00 EST

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Cyberattacks has become a growing threat for small firms as well as the U.S. economy. The FBI’s Internet Crime Report revealed that in 2018, the cost of cybercrimes reached a whopping $2.7 billion. Cybercriminals target small businesses because they have the information they need and in most cases, they don’t have the security infrastructure that’s commonly found in larger businesses.

A recent survey conducted by SBA, showed that 88% of the owners of small businesses believed that their business may be at risk of a cyberattack. However, many of them cannot afford to pay for professional IT services. They also don’t have much time to spend on cybersecurity or they have no idea where to start.

Begin by learning about the most common cyberthreats, figuring out where your company is vulnerable, and setting up measures to improve your firm’s cybersecurity.

What Are The Common Cybersecurity Threats?

Cyberattacks have evolved throughout the years however, business owners must be aware of the most common threats that their company may be facing.

Malware

Malicious software or malware is an umbrella term that used for a software that is made to cause extensive damage to a server, client, computer, or a computer network. Ransomware and viruses are some examples of malware.

Viruses

Viruses are programs that are harmful to your business. They intend to spread from one computer to another as well as other devices that are connected to the infected system. Viruses have a tendency to give hackers access to your system.

Ransomware

It is a specific kind of malware that will infect as well as restrict access to your computer until you pay the ransom. Ransomware is commonly delivered through phishing campaigns. It will exploit vulnerabilities in your software that you forgot or neglected to patch.

Phishing

Phishing is a kind of cyberattack that use a malicious website or email to infect your system with a malware or gather your confidential information. Phishing emails tend to appear as if they have been sent by a legitimate company or a well known individual. These emails commonly encourage users to open an attachment or click on a link that contains a malicious code. Once the code is run, your system will become infected with the malware.

Evaluate The Risk Of Your Business

When it comes to improving your cybersecurity, the first thing you need to do is know your risk of an attack and in what areas can significant improvements be made. Through a cybersecurity risk assessment, you will determine if your business is vulnerable and it will also help you in creating an appropriate plan of action. This should include assistance when getting email platforms, user training, and recommendation on how to protect the information assets of your business.

Planning and Assessment Tools

Having a dedicated IT support, whether an external IT consultant or an IT employee, is the best solution. However, companies with limited resources can still take some measures to strengthen their cybersecurity.

FCC Planning Tool

The FCC or FederalCommunications Commission provides a cybersecurity planning tool to assist you in building a strategy that is based on your unique business requirements.

Cyber Resilience Review

DHS or the Department of Homeland Security is non-technical evaluation to assess operational resilience as well as overall cybersecurity practices. You could either perform the assessment yourself or ask for a facilitated assessment by the DHS cybersecurity expert.

Cyber Hygiene Vulnerability Scanning

DHS also provided a free cyber hygiene vulnerability scanning for smaller firms. This particular service could help protect your internet-facing units from common vulnerabilities and weak configuration. You will get a report for your action on a weekly basis.

Best Cybersecurity Practices

You should train your employees. Your workers and emails are the main cause of data breaches and hacks for small businesses since they are a direct method into your company’s systems. Training employees about the fundamentals of internet best practices could go a long way when it comes to the prevention of cyberattacks.

It is important to maintain a good cyber hygiene. You should install and update your antivirus and antispyware software. You can get them from different vendors. You should install updates and patches regularly to fix security problems and boost its functionality. You can set the updates to be installed automatically.

Securing your network is also crucial. You can do this by using a firewall. Secure and hide your Wi-Fi network. Your wireless access point or router must be set up in a way that it won’t broadcast its network name, also known as service set identifier or SSID.

You should also use strong passwords and use different ones for your accounts. Your passwords should include at least 10 characters, at least one uppercase letters, lower case letters, number, and special character. Use multifactor authentication and back up your data on all of your computers.  

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let us help keep your business safe from today’s cybersecurity threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Cities Served:
Fayetteville, Spring Lake, Hope Mills, Dunn, Aberdeen, Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Sanford, Clinto