Reasons Why Businesses Fail Cybersecurity Tests

Every industry and companies of different sizes are being targeted by cybersecurity criminals. Just turn on your TV or check your social media and you’ll see reports about cyberattacks. These attacks are increasing in sophistication and number, and this trend is expected to continue.

So now is the time to have a plan. You can come up with one with the help of an IT Services Fayetteville NC company. Create a cybersecurity strategy that can provide your company with the foundation as well as the mandate to roll out good procedures and policies for enhancing resilience. When developing the strategy, here are the five common mistakes that you need to avoid.

 

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Cybersecurity Mistakes To Avoid At All Cost

Trusting your perimeter defense too much.

During the early stages of a data breach, it’s not the question of if but when. Cyber attackers would compromise your company’s first line of defense such as your internet saving services, email accounts, and employee workstations. Although it is important to set up your defenses on the perimeter, you can’t ignore attention on what takes place when a cybercriminal gets access to your network. Can you stop the attacker from going to a more sensitive part of your network that may lead to major damage? Contemporary networks need more than a single layer of defense to sufficiently protect your information as well as your computing resources.

Focusing on prevention and neglecting detection and response.

An initial attack will take minutes. The discovery as well as the response will take weeks and even months. A study even revealed that attack can be identified in an average of 256 days, which is too long. A cyberattack may not be noticeable, so your company should also focus on detection and response.

Depending too much on compliance.

Compliance will not guarantee protection against all cybersecurity threats. It is only the baseline requirement. Regulations are made to protect client and financial information. As technology continues to advance and your company continues to grow, a compliance mindset will put your business at risk. To protect your client data, operations and reputation, as well as confidential corporate data, you should go beyond compliance and opt for an offense-oriented method.

Failing to know the difference between vulnerability scanning and penetration testing.

The offense focused cybersecurity IT Support Fayetteville NC services are usually not defined clearly by those who procure or offer them, which leads to confusion. Penetration testing involves performing humans replicating the actions of cyberattackers. Meanwhile, a vulnerability scan involves an automated test, which is referred to as penetration test.

Not considering cybersecurity as a business risk.

Many companies consider cybersecurity as an IT problem. But it’s more than just an IT issue. The more connected you are, the more at risk you are of a cyberattack. They will use sophisticated methods to steal your employee and client data, trade secrets, intellectual property, and more. Aside from that, cybercriminals can take control of your physical assets such as phone systems, HVAC systems, door locks, and more.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you want to boost your cybersecurity so your company is more prepared against online threats.

 

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

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Fayetteville - How Can Small Businesses Secure Customer Data?

Are you doing everything you can to secure your customer information? In case you’re unsure if that’s what you’re doing then now is the perfect time to include it on your priority list. After all, you wouldn’t want your company to have problems with cybersecurity breach, right?

It is a time consuming process and can definitely affect you company’s bottom line? It could lead to reporting requirements as well as notifications to people whose data has been breached. Just be sure to consult your legal adviser. And since your clients trust you with their personal details daily, data breaches, as well as fraud pose a threat to the reputation of your business. Once again, in case you notice a breach, you must always talk to your legal adviser.

You might think data breaches only occur in large firms. The truth of the matter is that it can take place to companies of all sizes. The SEC said that one study discovered that 60% of all the targeted cybersecurity attacks happen to small businesses. Another study also learned that about 60% of those companies that have been hacked eventually go down. They only stay afloat for as long as six months and they shut down.

The first step when it comes to securing the data of your customers is to learn about data security. It is comprised of techniques and practices that prevent hackers from accessing your data. It could be in the form of a firewall or software that can detect suspicious activities and make sure that your payment devices are secured. It should also help monitor transactions constantly.

Computer Security and Data Security Tips

Know your data

Create a list of all the client data you collect or have stored. It includes things like physical addresses, names, phone numbers, email addresses, as well as billing information. Then you should list out where you are storing all of these details – if it is electronically stored or kept in a physical filing system. Be sure to be comprehensive. You need to know everything that you can access and where you can get it.

Restrict Access

Only your most trusted business partners and employees must have access to your client data. If you keep things in you file cabinet, on your computer, or perhaps in an online tool, be sure only a few people have the passwords, codes, or keys to these important files. And make sure that you have a thorough inventory of who have access to what. By doing so, if a person leaves the firm, you can easily change codes and the passwords so you can keep your things secured and protected.

Use Strong Passwords

You have heard this a lot of times before, however, it is crucial for you to create passwords that are guess proof. Your business name or perhaps a simple number combination will not cut it. You need to have strong passwords which are eight characters at least. It must contain both upper and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers, too. You must likewise let two factor authentication, which is a security procedure that needs two ways of verification (usually a texted code and an email address) – to log in to any app that contain sensitive information.

Take Authenticated Payments

In terms of face to face transactions, you no longer need magnetic strip cards because it is already outdated and they are less secured. Fortunately, you have other options like EMV like chip cards as well as NFC like Apple Pay. Compared to magnetic strip cards, where the bank account information of a customer remains at the back of the card, the NFC and EMV transactions need authentication and that means they encrypt client account information as the payment is being processed.

You Must Be PCI Compliant

To ensure that business owners secure the data of their customers, credit card firms have developed a set of rules called the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or PCI DSS. The latter makes sure that companies that get, process, store, and transmit credit card information should keep a secured environment so the sensitive details won’t fall into the wrong hands. They have to follow security standards that all five major payment companies have developed through their organization.

Install Antivirus Software

You need to protect your computer through the installation of an anti-virus software. It doesn’t have to be expensive. There are several antivirus programs out there that are affordable. Don’t forget to consult with an IT support about the best software for your company.

Use Spam Filters

Everyone knows that they have to get rid of emails that look fishing. However, spammers are getting better these days and they now know how to make emails that look legit even though they are not. You can avoid falling prey to these scams by installing a reliable spam filter on your email system.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc.  if you want to know what measures need to be set in place to ensure the security and protection of your client’s information.

 

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

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence