Your data security methods have always been essential, but the COVID-19 outbreak has made it more important than ever. Since the health crisis began, 91% of businesses have reported an increase in threats.
The fact that your employees are working from home is a significant reason for the increase, with gaps in security protocols appearing now that staff have more flexibility. Transitioning to working remotely is tough, but it is doable.
Here are the four cybersecurity practices to help facilitate the transition.
Adopt the Right Processes
Whether you’re the top IT company in Las Vegas, or a layman with no cybersecurity experience, you need to adopt the correct processes. Relying on your employees to know how they should act is wrong as your workers require leadership. This comes in the form of tools such as a firewall, malware software, and email protection.
The latter is vital because phishing scams have risen by 600% from the beginning of March. Hardware is crucial, too; providing the necessary business equipment—laptops, iPads, or smartphones—means you can install the necessary systems beforehand and eliminate attacks. Allowing employees to use personal devices is a risk as they may not have extensive security measures necessary to protect your business data.
Watch Out for Phishing Lures
Hackers don’t bulldoze their way into your server—they lure you in. Digital thieves go phishing, and it works as 30% of recipients will click on an illegitimate email. Once you or an employee opens the link, depending on the virus, it can install ransomware which requires you to pay a fee to regain control. Therefore, it’s essential to spot the signs, which you can do by:
- Checking if the email asks you to confirm personal information
- Analyzing whether the sender appears authentic
- Looking for a suspicious attachment
- Asking yourself why the content wants you to input your details
You must pass these tactics onto your workers, too.
Always Use Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-Factor Authentication is a security protocol that’s designed to lower the chances of a hack proceeding. An MFA system does this by confirming whether the person logging onto a network is allowed to do so by asking for several credentials. For example, when someone tries to get into their email account, MFA software could require them to input a code sent to their phone.
Not only would a thief require the code, which lasts fifteen minutes or less, but they’d also need access to the device. It’s unlikely to have both, which is why MFA is incredibly secure.
Train Employees Regularly
Informing your team is the first step to enforcing your security. You’ll want to train them on the best security protocols for avoiding phishing scams. Remember that some concepts will be more technological than you realize, so be sure and train to their level so your employees are thoroughly trained.
Make sure that you also have regular review sessions so they don’t forget the important skills they just learned. If in doubt, you can work with an experienced and expert IT company in Las Vegas, Nevada, to alleviate the pressure.
