Cyber-attacks and hacking used to be things that were carried out by highly proficient individuals to show off their skills or prove that security vulnerabilities existed within a certain site or system. However, the hackers of today are driven by a different motivator: money.
So it’s not surprising that cyber-attacks, which are designed to bypass security protocols and steal data for financial gain, are on the increase. Recent news reports even showthat huge government departments like the Home Office aren’t free from risk – and if the government isn’t even safe, how can everyday businesses like yours protect their private data from hackers?The answer is that they can’t 100 percent but by following a series of guidelines and best practices it is possible to reduce the overall risk.
Here are 3ways to help your business data remain secure in the face of an increasing number of cyber-attacks:
1. Educate your staff
Believe it or not, your staff is actually your business’s first line of defense in terms of security. That’s because they have the ability to make or break your security protocols with their day-to-day actions and decisions.
For example, educating them about the potential dangers of malicious emails is one way to improve overall awareness and boost your company’s security standpoint.Your email security systems should ensure no potentially dangerous emails get through, but in the event that one does your staff member will know to proceed with caution.
2. Move sensitive or historic information elsewhere
It might sound simple but you can increase your overall data security by moving sensitive or historic data to another location. Many hackers will expect your files to be situated on your primary servers and these are the ones they will target.
By implementing an email archiving solution you can greatly reduce the chance of hackers getting their hands on your email data. This is because many target your primary servers where the majority of your live data resides.
However, by regularly archiving emails, you can significantly reduce the amount of at-risk data being held on your own servers. Email archiving actually has many other benefits aside from security. Find out how email archiving can greatly benefit your business by checking out the features that come with a dedicated cloud storage solution like the one from Mimecast.
3. Undertake a security audit
Unless you know which areas of your business are vulnerable, you can’t secure them. That’s why a thorough security audit is the order of the day and the first step in ultimately improving your security situation going forward.
Penetration tests are one way to check if your security measures are doing what they’re supposed to and there are many reputable companies who will help you conduct such tests. They are designed to identify any weaknesses in your infrastructure or applications that could be exploited by hackers. You can then take the necessary steps to address these, closing any security holes in the process.
