While it is important to keep your cybersecurity up to date throughout the year, spring presents the perfect opportunity to ensure that your company’s data and information are safe and secure. In this post, we cover some helpful checklist items that will help you kick your cybersecurity spring cleaning into high gear.
Passwords
Many cybercriminals gain unauthorized access to accounts and networks through weak passwords. Help your company stay secure by taking the following helpful steps:
- Ensure that employees know how to create strong passwords.
- Verify that every account has its own unique password.
- Encourage employees to update their passwords every three months.
- Remind employees to use different passwords for each of their accounts.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for any accounts that have this option available. This is especially important for accounts containing financial information.
Every day, your employees send and receive important information through email. Attackers can gain access through obsolete email addresses, phishing attempts, malware, and easy-to-guess passwords, so ensuring each account is safe and secure will proactively protect your business. Carry out these spring cleaning checklist items to safeguard your business:
- Teach your employees about phishing and email spoofing, and arm them with tools for guarding against these attacks.
- Verify that they know not to download files or open links from unknown senders – doing this opens the door for malware and ransomware to infect your system.
- Encourage employees to delete any personally identifiable information (social security numbers, credit card information, etc.) from their inboxes.
- Periodically review your email accounts to ensure no employees who have left the company remain on the email account list.
- Delete any contacts that are no longer current or useful to avoid accidentally sending information to the wrong recipient.
Software & Applications
Some cybercriminals are able to penetrate company networks through loopholes in software known as zero-day vulnerabilities. These unnoticed security flaws allow attackers to gain entry to your company’s data and deploy malware or spyware, potentially harming your company and your customers. Ransomware, for example, is a highly destructive type of malware that allows attackers to encrypt their victims’ data; they will only release information in exchange for payment, which can cost thousands of dollars in damages. Here are some steps you can take to keep your software and applications secure:
- Ensure your administrators are only granting permissions relevant to each user.
- Remove any user accounts that are no longer active.
- Delete any apps or programs that the company no longer uses.
- Encourage employees to implement software and application updates as soon as they become available.
Data Backups
Backing up your company’s data is one of the most important things you can do to keep your business safe. While you are likely able to backup your data through in-house procedures, a Managed IT Services provider like Qnectus can provide robust backup solutions that will ensure your data is safe during any kind of cyberattack. Whether you are backing up on your own or working with a professional, these checklist items can help you keep your data secure:
- Review your data backup procedures and routines to ensure they still meet your company’s needs.
- Test backups regularly to ensure they are being successfully completed.
- Verify that you can restore the necessary data from a backup.
- Ensure that your backup storage location is safe and secure.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity is essential for every business, and making a concerted, proactive effort can go a long way in keeping your company safe. If you would like to learn more about how a Managed IT Services provider like Qnectus can protect your business from cyber attacks, contact us today.