Companies all over the world are at risk from cyber attacks. One form of cyber attack is the ransomware attack. There was a 36% increase in this kind of attack in 2017. Some companies believe they are not at risk because they’re smaller, but a full 42% of all cyber attacks are on small businesses. Keep reading to learn how you can keep your business safe.
- Back everything up. One thing a lot of ransomware attackers tell their victims is that they have taken control of the victim’s data and that the only way to get it back in one piece is to pay them what they want. Whether this happens or you have some kind of issue with your hardware or software, backing all of your data up is the best way to keep it all safe, say IT support and services experts. There are a number of options for backing up data so you can find one that works best for you.
- Make sure your devices and computers are secure. Viruses and malware are always trying to break into your computer network and onto your devices. Everything from your devices to your laptops and desktop computers can be at risk. One great way to keep them all safe and secure is to put in software that prevents them from getting a foothold anywhere on your network. All it takes is one infection on any device or computer to take your entire network down.
- Use firewalls to keep internal networks safe. Again, IT support people like to remind people that firewalls need to be installed on every computer and device. It is also important to keep everything updated as new threats emerge every day.
- Keep an eye on your equipment. You should know who is using and logging into any of your computer equipment. You also should only let your IT support staff install or remove any software packages used by your company systems. It also makes a lot of sense to tell all of your employees to keep track of any devices or hardware they have been assigned. If your workers want to use USB sticks and the like, make sure they are provided by your IT support staff.
- Limit access to your sensitive data. Not everyone at your company needs access to all of your files and data. Give people different levels of access that is determined by what they do and what information they need to do their jobs. This also means everything you send and receive should be encrypted. Encrypted data is protected by a system that makes it impossible to read and access without a digital key.
- Make sure everyone uses good passwords. One of the top ways intruders access secure networks is through weak passwords. People all over the world use “password” or “12345” as the password to access their device, computer, or email. Another common issue is using the same password for everything, There are applications that can be used to help workers create and use passwords that actually protect systems.
- Make sure all of your administrative passwords are also good and strong. Make sure you have the passwords on your network and for administrator access to your system are changed from the default passwords that came on the systems. IT services professionals say not changing these passwords is a lot like locking the front door while keeping the back one wide open.
- Put spam filters on your email accounts. After using weak passwords, people clicking on emails from unknown and untrusted sources cause most of the problems from attacks on networks. Many of these messages fall into the category of spam. Strong spam filters can prevent these nefarious emails from getting through.
Cyber attacks, malware, and viruses can cause a company to have to close down while the problem is rectified. IT support professionals recommend these tips to prevent this kind of thing from happening.
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