With the increasing scale of business being driven online, the number of malicious attacks on websites too have increased manifold. Cyber-attacks not only target individuals but also companies and organizations. It is essential for organizations to take concrete steps and remain vigilant to protect their business against such attacks with appropriate counter-measures in cyber security and IT governance. Here is a list of some measures you can take to avoid being a victim of cyber-attacks.
- Encrypt and back-up data- When your company has any important data, it is necessary to have it in an encrypted form because hackers can hunt out any information. You also need to set some additional cyber security and IT governance measures while using such encryption. These include setting a log out time when a log in is not being used, etc. The sensitive data should not only be encrypted, but also backed up separately to prevent hackers from stealing valuable information from the company.
- Use a robust anti-malware and firewall software- Ransomware is the most rampant cyber security risk faced by businesses in recent times. It is very important to invest in a software, especially designed to deal with such malwares, as they can work quietly in the background. An optimized firewall, on the other hand, will help you in preventing any malwares from entering in your system in the first place.
- Train employees- Employees can be the most common cause of data breach and hence need to be trained accordingly to be aware of external threats that may reach them by e-mails or over the internet. Educating the employees is an essential part of cyber security and IT governance. It can prevent them from walking into malware attacks and prevent the loss of valuable information of the company.
- Invest in cyber security insurance- Cyber criminals work tirelessly and grab on to any opportunity to breach your defenses and steal your information. This, sometimes, can make even the best security measures fail. Therefore, you need to talk to a cyber security specialist and select the best insurance for your company based on the risk of attack and the financial impact it may cause.
Apart from using various strategies to protect you company’s data and files, it is also essential to perform a holistic cyber-security risk assessment as it will help strengthen their security. Some of the benefits that an in-depth evaluation from a qualified cyber security specialist are:
- It will identify the vulnerabilities and inefficiencies in the security policy by evaluating the present security system.
- It will also help in determining what new security measures can be taken to address the present security problems and eradicate these weaknesses.
- It will help you in classifying data according to their criticality and give you an idea of developing your risk management strategy accordingly.
- A risk assessment done by the cyber security expert also increases awareness among your employees about security risks and measures. This increased knowledge leads to increased motivation and surges efficiency.
Protecting the company’s systems and relevant data from cyber-attack is a very common and real issue that most businesses face. Using the above measures can help you largely shield these attacks and build a strong enterprise-grade security system. In addition, a risk assessment done by a cyber security and IT governance firm can help in strengthening this shield and make your data safer.