Cybercrime – and as a result, cybersecurity – is quickly becoming a major concern for all businesses. A few years ago, only major corporations had to worry about such issues. These days, though, everyone is at risk. It is estimated that close to 70 percent of small businesses are targets for hackers and cybercriminals. So, even if you think that your company is not at risk, you can now be quite certain that it is. This does beg the question, though, why are there so many attacks on various organizations? Below the article, here find The Top Cybersecurity Mistakes.
Well, for the most part, this is because the average small-to-medium business doesn’t actually take their cybersecurity all that seriously. Many imagine that they don’t have the kind of incentive that most criminals are looking for. As a result, these organizations end up making numerous mistakes in this department. If you want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to you, here are the top pitfalls you should take care to avoid.
Hiring Without Background Checks
As an employer, it is easy to think of your workers as being rather harmless. At the very least, you probably imagine that they aren’t intentionally trying to harm the company. After all, you sign their paychecks. Well, it is best not to get lulled into a false sense of security.
It is estimated that around 45 percent of attacks are due to a malicious employee within the company. What’s even scarier is that most of these individuals have access to much of your organization’s network and data. So, it is even easier for them to cripple the structure.
Considering the size of the issue, it is clear that better background checks are in order. By carefully screening every potential hire, you will be able to gather more information about them. In turn, you can have greater certainty about whether or not you are selecting a reliable individual.
Leaving Your Employees Untrained
If three-fourths of these attacks are due to spiteful employees, what about the rest of your workers? It turns out that they may not be entirely in the clear either. A number of cyber-attacks are due to lax employee protocols or workers inadvertently giving hackers access to the networks.
Now, in many cases, this isn’t your employees’ fault. This is because few people are trained to be able to handle the kind of cybersecurity risks that exist today. So, is it any wonder that people are making mistakes within your company?
To put an end to this, you will need to train them in both basic and more advanced security strategies. It is best to tailor the training to each person’s position within the company, dependent on the level of access that they have.
Only Having One Point of Protection
When you think about cybersecurity measures, what exactly comes into mind? Now, most people actually have a narrow view of what such strategies entail. In fact, many individuals may feel that having an antivirus enabled on their computer alone is enough to keep the threats at bay.
Well, this is not the case at all. For you to have a secure system, you need to make sure that it is protected from every possible angle. This is why you will require a Best firewall, antivirus software, antimalware, backup protocols, and more.
Furthermore, you will have to physically protect the devices connected to your company’s network as well. This means keeping them under lock and key and ensuring that only specific individuals have access to them.
The best way to make sure that you are covered on all sides is to take stock of your entire operation. Then, try to identify where the weak points may be or where the threats are most likely to come from. This will make it easier to pinpoint what areas you should specifically guard.
Not Hiring the Right Experts
Most larger organizations have their own IT department – it is practically required. Smaller businesses, on the other hand, may be able to handle their own IT needs, without requiring any outside help. And sure, to a certain extent, you may be able to keep track of your cybersecurity structure as well.
After a certain point, though, you may find yourself out of your depth. Of course, due to the cost involved you may still be averse to the idea of hiring people for your IT department. Now, if you are planning on growing your business, then you should definitely set up such a department. It is the only way to make sure that the organization is secure, as a whole.
If this not an option for you, consider outsourcing the department. These days, there are plenty of services that will monitor your company’s security around the clock. Find an it consultant, there will be some investment involved but you can be certain that it will be worth it.
Thinking of Cybersecurity as a Strictly IT Issue
Even with the right professionals in place, you can let go of the wheel. This is because the burden of maintaining cybersecurity doesn’t just fall on the shoulders of the IT department. Rather, it is the responsibility of each person working within your company.
Remember, you can never really tell where the threat is going to come from. Thus, training alone isn’t enough for your employees. They also have to appreciate the importance of cybersecurity. It is only then that they will take the necessary steps to keep the network as secure as possible.
One of the best ways to make sure that this happens is to lead by example. Make sure that you are following all the protocols that are in place and encourage your employees to do the same.
As you can see, there are quite a few mistakes to be made. The silver lining is that most of these problems can be addressed rather easily. So, as long as you use the information in this article wisely, securing your organization’s networks will be a lot easier to manage. With this in mind, you are now aware of precisely what it is that you should and shouldn’t do.
