Jenna Chouinard Marketing Executive Business Automation Experts
Did you know that hackers can breach 93% of business networks? What’s more, hackers can penetrate a company’s internal network in an average of just two days. As cybercrimes continue to increase and become more sophisticated, businesses of all sizes and industries must have a robust security strategy to stay ahead of hackers. Now is the time to get serious about cybersecurity because attackers only need to succeed once to gain access to your data.
Data breaches can be expensive and detrimental — in fact, they cost enterprises an average of $3.92 million when they occur. Small to medium sized businesses aren’t immune to cyber attacks either — in fact, they are even more vulnerable to attacks. In addition to cyber-related incidents leading to loss of revenue, they can also lead to loss of clients, reputation damage, operational disruptions, compromised data, and much more. Having a layered, multi-faceted approach is the best way to mitigate theses damages.
Here are a few important aspects to consider when you’re developing your multi-layered cybersecurity strategy or partnering with an IT provider:
Cloud Security
If your business has scaled up to the cloud, you need cloud security to protect your data. This involves any technology, policies, controls, or services that are in place to protect your private or public cloud-hosted data from external threats. IBM notes that “organizations need cloud security as they move toward their digital transformation strategy and incorporate cloud-based tools and services as part of their infrastructure.”
Ransomware Protection
It was estimated that a ransomware attack occurred every 11 seconds in 2021, according to an analysis by Cybersecurity Ventures. Ransomware attacks will continue to surge and evolve in 2022 and beyond. This type of attack occurs as a form of malicious software that is designed to block access to a computer or another device until a sum of money is paid. Oftentimes, the victim has a set amount of time to pay the cybercriminal before losing access to their device’s data. It’s important for organizations to implement best IT practices to help combat the increasing threat posed by ransomware.
Email Protection
Email protection is critical for all businesses, especially because emails are a common place where a victim could mistakenly download malware. There are a variety of ways to protect you and your team, including spam filtering, password policies, phishing tests and more. It also may be worth considering implementing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or other secure remote work policies if your team has a flexible workplace policy.
Multi-Factor Authentication
Assist with your cybersecurity needs, Business Automation Experts (BAE) is your strategic advisor when it comes to protecting your business
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an authentication method that requires you to provide two or more verification factors to use an online application, account, or a VPN. Rather than simply entering your username and password, MFA prompts you to enter additional information, such as a PIN, a confirmation on your smartphone, or even a fingerprint. Considering usernames and passwords are vulnerable to hacks, enabling MFA adds an additional layer of security. It’s even shown to prevent 99.9% of hackers.
Back-Up Data and Recovery
To stay ahead of unexpected cybersecurity breaches, have a back-up data and recovery strategy in place to protect your most important assets. Business continuity planning is vital to ensuring that …….