Keeping your business safe from the increasing number of cyber security threats worldwide can be problematic. If your company doesn’t have the right tools at its disposal to combat breaches quickly, effectively, and efficiently, you run the risk of exposing your brand to a number of online hazards.
Cyber security is continually changing and adapting to provide the best support possible for businesses. However, protecting your company against online threats requires more than just paying for a cyber security system. It needs time, training, guidance, and clear communication across all levels of your organization to keep that security at the forefront of your day-to-day operations.
Whether you’re a brand new business in need of protecting your online assets, or an established global brand searching for some digital security information guidance, there’s no such thing as being too prepared for potential online attacks.
To keep your company agile, secure, and prepared for the worst-case scenarios, here are 8 tips to improve your cyber security management.
1. Understand Your Vulnerable Areas
Cyber security is very important; it isn’t simply a matter of finding the most expensive software on the market and assuming it’s the best there is. It’s about developing a better understanding of what your business needs to be protected from, and where your most valuable assets are stored digitally.
Every business is different, and your online security shouldn’t be based purely on cost. Discuss your most vulnerable areas with your tech team and begin to work on a game plan to protect them accordingly.
The more you start to understand where your weaknesses are, the better you’re able to shield them from threats.
2. Train Your Staff to Stay Vigilant
Businesses are prone to spending more time on implementing cyber security procedures than they do on training staff on what these security procedures actually entail.
All the planning in the world will immediately go out the window if your staff aren’t fully trained, informed, and prepared to react to data and security threats. To prevent this, and ensure that any cyber threats are dealt with efficiently, maintain regular cyber security training sessions that confirm clear guidelines.
If your company handles sensitive data of any kind, which is likely, the best options for developing systems and keeping your staff trained on best practices are to hire an in-house employee with an advanced degree in cybersecurity to handle things full time, or outsource to a professional cybersecurity company.
3. Implement Your Security Plan Company-wide
Now that your staff are fully trained and informed on how to stay vigilant, it’s essential to establish what’s expected of each department in the event of a cyber attack.
Every level of your company’s hierarchy should be able to clearly articulate what’s expected of them during a cyber security attack. If they aren’t able to do this, then further training and clearer procedures are needed to be put in place.
4. Is Your Hardware Up-To-Date?
To effectively protect your business from cyberattacks, you’ll need to have the most recent product updates installed and implemented across all of your online platforms.
You should ideally re-assess and update your technical security software needs every 2 years. Doing so means you’re never left vulnerable to the latest security threats. Cybercrime is a continually evolving problem, so your security hardware will need to be as recent as possible to combat this.
5. Destroy Your Old Hardware Correctly
This leads us to one of the most overlooked vulnerabilities in cyber security – correctly disposing of old hardware.
Without a thorough removal process for old devices, your business runs the risk of gifting digital security attackers with all of the information they’ll ever need to infiltrate your defense systems.
Oversights in security can lead to dangerous things, so don’t forget the various storage devices that are used daily. These need to be disposed of and destroyed professionally to ensure that they won’t fall into the wrong hands.
Below are some of the most common storage devices that you need to include in your disposal of old hardware:
- USBs
- Hard drives
- CDs
- DVDs
When planning to remove the old hardware, it’s important to work with a reputable and professional cyber security company.
6. Have a Worst-case Scenario Plan in Place
Preparation for the worst possible outcome means that you’re never going to be caught off guard. The key to a successful cyber security prevention plan is in mapping out the worst-case scenarios and putting a plan of action in place.
Setting up notifications and firewalls for these potential hazards is a large part of staying protected. But continually testing and evaluating your reactions and response times to unexpected events is just as important. Preparing for the worst ensures that when any issues occur, you’re able to better protect your business.
7. Do Your Research
Research the people and companies you’re developing relationships with, and do so meticulously. This means sourcing information on any security firms that you’re looking to hire, and doing your due diligence when it comes to any intermediary companies who may be handling sensitive information.
Be sure to check the criminal backgrounds of new employees to be aware of any past associations or convictions of cybercrime activities. These small additional research points can bolster your overall security.
8. Use the Services of a Professional Security and Compliance Company
Due to the digitization of the world’s most important and sensitive information, criminals are developing powerful and effective new ways in which to obtain this vital data. Not only this, but they’re continually looking for ways to steal this data quickly, and in ways that are becoming increasingly more difficult to combat.
Big data breaches are more than just losing information that’s dangerous in the wrong hands. It’s also impactful to the success and reputation of your business as a whole. The cost of a reliable and trustworthy security and compliance company pales in comparison to the potential litigation fees that an information breach could cost your business in court.
TransPerfect offers innovative and secure responses to cyber security threats via information security assessments, corporate audits, incident response plans, and many more.
Are you looking to protect your business from potential litigation and other costs that can occur from data breaches and security hazards? Contact us today.
