Businesses have been grappling with the consequences of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and it has impacted operations and work like never before. The damage to economy may take months in recovery, but your company needs keep up the cyber defenses, given that security concerns are still the same. In fact, hackers would use the current times to exploit existing vulnerabilities and attack businesses using various tactics. You may not have the resources to run a bounty program or hire ethical hackers, but cybersecurity is much more than that. This post is about taking cybersecurity measures that are easy and in budget.
Collaborative effort matters
The entire organization needs to come together to prevent security breaches. You cannot have a team of employees who know nothing about recent scams, social engineering methods used by hackers, or big cybersecurity concerns. They are the ones handling your network and IT resources, and they must be aware and responsible.
Follow the norms
There are a few basic norms that matter for cybersecurity in current times –
- Using a password manager for protecting and retrieving passwords
- Relying on multifactor authentication where needed
- Removing unwanted and old software
- Updating software, firmware, and apps to the latest version
- Using strong passwords for every account and device
- Placing networked devices behind firewalls
- Using network segmentation where needed
- Restricting admin access
Keep in mind that there is no one-plan-fits-all kind of cybersecurity outline for every business. There is a need to constantly update and upgrade the existing defenses, because hackers are using various means and tactics, as we mentioned before.
Other things to consider
You may want to consider using antimalware and antivirus software for all devices. These programs and apps are great at detecting and removing malware, especially the more damaging ones like ransomware and trojans. Secondly, consider spending on network security. Regular testing and scans can help in detecting suspicious activities, and you can expect to find flaws, vulnerabilities and issues before a hacker exploits them. Another big step would be to have an incident response plan. You want to be absolutely sure that your team is capable of handling cybersecurity concerns, should a breach occur.
Should you outsource cybersecurity? That depends on many factors, but there is no denying that this has to be on priority. If your employees are working from home, create WFH policies and rules for using their personal devices for accessing company resources.