Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing industries in America, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating that demand for cybersecurity specialists will grow by nearly a third within a decade. Every company, at some level, is at risk for cybercrime.
In the first half of 2024, more than 1,500 breaches were reported impacting an estimated 1.07 billion victims, a 14 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to research from the Identity Theft Resource Center. Protection against these crimes is becoming more and more advanced, as are cybercriminals.
So what should you do? Below are some top recommendations:
Strengthen your firewall and antivirus protections. No, this won’t protect you from highly complex security breaches. But, it will save you from low-level hackers and employee errors that could cost you. These precautions are the first step and are easy for any business to implement.
Make sure your wifi is private access only. You don’t want to invite opportunities for hackers to breach your database or security systems. The more limited you keep your wifi and network, the less chance you have of someone taking advantage. Of course, some businesses need wifi for their customers, but make sure it’s password-protected.
Educate your employees. Employees will not always know what to look for, and how to protect their work devices from potential issues. They are also at a higher risk for identity theft if the company networks are compromised. Educate them on what to look for in phishing emails and other practices.
Limit employee access to information. Some employees may be smarter than you think and could try to compromise your networks on their own. Many cybercriminals are successful with this approach, getting hired by a company for a position that gives them easy access to sensitive information. Conduct background checks before hiring anyone who could have this kind of access.
DDoS security. A DDoS attack is a tactic cyber criminals use to disrupt your online services or network rendering it unusable to your customers or personnel. This distracts the cybersecurity team, working to fix the problem while the criminals gain access to sensitive information. This tactic is highly effective unless you invest in DDoS security systems.
A solid plan is your best defense in all the possibilities of a cyber attack. Know what to do in a cyber crisis and remember that it can be solved, no matter how difficult. Also, be prepared from a communications standpoint to tell your audiences what is happening and how you’re fixing the problem. If you need cyber security planning, talk to the professionals at Tucker/Hall today.
