A common misconception is that some businesses are not at risk of cybersecurity attacks. However, that sentiment is furthest from the truth. No matter the size of the business or the industry, cybersecurity threats are something you should never take lightly.
Cyber attacks can have a particular impact on unprepared businesses. More proactive companies tend to have the necessary resources and an in-house team to tackle the technical and PR challenges that arise with a cyber breach. However, some businesses can’t afford that luxury. 60% of small to mid-sized companies that experience a cyber attack go out of business within six months, illustrating the dire implications of a security breach.
Fortunately, there are ways for businesses can keep their employees, customers, and reputation protected from cyberattacks. Here is Vector Security Network’s cybersecurity checklist to help keep your multi-site business protected.
Keep Your Technology Updated
The 21st century has been nothing short of a technological boom. Due to accelerating change, technological progress isn’t increasing linearly but exponentially. And every day we see new, state-of-the-art technology hit the market that can drastically change both our personal and professional lives.
So what does that mean for your multi-site business? Well, the best thing you can do is make sure all of your software applications are up to date. The virtual side of business security is a constant tug-of-war between software developers and nefarious cybercriminals. Outdated software means your business is more at risk of a cyber breach. Regularly implementing software updates company-wide is an effective way to stay one step ahead of these cybercriminals.
However, software updates are only as effective as the devices they’re on. Hardware is just as integral to a business’s performance and security as software. As network technologies continue to evolve, many legacy systems struggle to perform at an optimal level or are unable to run at all. As a general rule of thumb, industry experts recommend updating legacy systems every five years to ensure optimal performance and security.
Effective data backup and disaster recovery plans are also key to ensuring that your business can restore and restart operations, even after a serious incident. These plans and the technologies that support them must be regularly reviewed. All too often, data backup is implemented and then neglected, increasing the possibility that the solution will not work when needed.
Implement Strong Mitigation Policies
No business is ever fully protected from external threats. However, there are surefire strategies companies can implement to mitigate a cyber breach. Below are different weak points cybercriminals like to target and what you can add to your cybersecurity checklist to bolster your business’s defenses.
Email Security
Email is one of the most common mediums cybercriminals use to target businesses and people. Some email scams are obvious, while others are much more covert and professional-looking. You’ve probably come across a malicious email before and had no idea it was one.
We will discuss how to spot these types of scams in a later section. But for now, you must know that one of the best ways to prevent a breach from happening is to catch the email before it ever reaches the inboxes of your employees.
Email filtering software can do some of the work for you. It can quickly and accurately scan emails and identify red flags, such as malicious links or attachments, unusual sender IP addresses, trigger words, and more.
Although effective, it’s important to understand that no software is 100% foolproof, and some scammers are crafty enough to get their emails to slip through the cracks. However, email filtering software can greatly reduce the chance your employees fall for an email scam.
Password Security
It is always worth stating that passwords are a foundation for cybersecurity. Every online account requires a password to operate. And these accounts contain sensitive information that cybercriminals can use for their benefit.
Cybercriminals that gain access to business accounts can hold them for ransom, steal employee or customer information, or take trade secrets or vital business documents, all of which are costly and damaging for your company. Ensuring that employees create strong passwords and preventing them from being stolen is essential for your business’s security. Some password security tips they should follow include:
- NOT reusing old passwords or using the same password for each account.
- Creating passwords that do NOT contain personal information, such as a birthday, first name, last name, phone number, address, etc.
- Having passwords be at least 12 characters long. However, the longer the password, the safer it is.
- NOT sharing passwords with others, including friends, colleagues, and family members, or writing them down somewhere visible or easily accessible.
- Creating passwords that contain a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols to make them more random and complex.
Understandably, remembering complex passwords for dozens of accounts is incredibly difficult to do, especially if you’re not documenting them somewhere. Fortunately, there’s a practical solution to this issue. A password manager is a secure archive that can be used to store login information for all systems and services behind a single, master password.
Additionally, passwordless authentication has gained significant popularity for cybersecurity purposes in recent years. The software remembers your password for you. It even updates whenever you change your password. When companies implement passwordless authentication software effectively, it makes the whole process of creating and maintaining passwords much more seamless and secure.
Internet and Wi-Fi Security
Every piece of information we send online can be tracked and traced. Public networks are convenient, but can also be dangerous. What appears to be a coffee shop network, could actually be a cybercriminal’s network posing as a coffee shop to steal information. That is why we must always ensure we’re connected to a secure and trusted network, especially when using a company device.
When at the office, companies generally have much better control of the network employees are connecting to. However, remote work is revolutionizing practically every industry. And although there are benefits to both employees and companies for implementing a remote workforce, there are some significant security challenges as well.
The way companies are ensuring their employees are connected to a secure network while working remotely is through a VPN or SD-WAN. Although ideal for different situations, a VPN or SD-WAN provides a similar solution: securely connecting you to an external, private network. Essentially, these network solutions act as a shield that helps to protect your data while connected.
Train Employees on How to Spot Cyberattacks
Your company could implement all of the latest and greatest cybersecurity technologies on the market to protect itself from external threats. However, by far the greatest security risk to a company is its employees. All of those mitigation policies are useless if an employee doesn’t know how to spot threats and protect themselves when targeted.
Most cybercriminals use social engineering tactics to trick unsuspecting victims into revealing sensitive personal or business-related information, or get you to click on an infected link to gain access to your devices or accounts. Fortunately, there are tell-tale signs to spot these malicious attempts. A social engineering attack generally has one or more of the following characteristics:
- Language that induces an emergency, such as “must act immediately” or “hurry before it’s too late.” The key here is to make the situation feel urgent so you feel the need to act.
- Links that send you to an unfamiliar URL or attachments that the social engineer prompts you to click.
- Links that say they go to the particular site. But when you hover your mouse over them, they send you somewhere else.
- Requests for personal information, such as birthdate, address, contact info, photo of a license, etc.
- Requests that arrive at a strange time (outside of office hours) or appear to be from a known person asking you to do something for the company that they have not requested before.
Email phishing is the most common type of attack cybercriminals use to target individuals. However, they can also target you directly through text messages or social media accounts, such as LinkedIn. It is also common for cybercriminals to use public information to pose as people you know. These could include family, friends, colleagues, etc. They do this to build a false sense of trust, making you more likely to reveal the information they’re targeting.
The best way to combat these attacks is to instruct employees to thoroughly read the message and look for any characteristics posted above. And if they have a gut feeling that something is off, tell them to report the message to the IT department immediately. At best, their intuition was correct and they successfully stopped an attack. And at worst, the IT department will confirm that it is a legitimate email and it’s safe to proceed. Contacting a known sender by phone to confirm that they sent an email is another common practice – just be sure to use your own address book. Do not ever reply to the original email or trust phone numbers provided in that message until you are confident it is safe.
Be Prepared to Act
A cyber breach is obviously something you never want to happen. However, if one occurs, every second matters. Businesses must go on the offensive to mitigate the damage. The first thing you must do is secure your network. You should reset all company access codes and passwords and limit access to your network. It’s also a good idea to temporarily shut down all remote access.
Next, you want to determine where the breach occurred and what caused it. Did they attack one system? Multiple? Who was targeted in the attack? And how many were targeted? During this process, it may be helpful to be transparent with your employees. That way, everybody within the organization is on the same page and is prepared to spot any additional suspicious activity.
If a cybercriminal gains access to sensitive information, you must evaluate your options and the requirements for notification. Telling customers that their information might have been compromised during a data breach is never an easy thing. However, it’s a far better PR move than customers learning from a news source.
After you’ve gained control of the situation and handled the PR challenges involved, it’s important to take a deep look at your security protocols. Be honest with your assessment because something went wrong. If cybersecurity training was something your company was lacking, now is the time to double down on training and assessment to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
What you do and don’t do during a cyberattack will have a lasting impact on your company’s image. But if you react quickly and are transparent with customers, you should be able to overcome the setback.
Partner with a Network Security Provider
One of the best ways a multi-site business can protect its network is by partnering with a managed network security provider. With over 50 years of experience, Vector Security Networks has the solutions and expertise to monitor, upgrade, and protect your business’s network. We can work with you to assess your needs and even offload some work from your IT team.
Never underestimate the importance of cybersecurity and protecting your network. If you would like to learn more about Vector Security Networks and what we can do to help your business, feel free to contact us today.
