According to a new study by the Ponemon Institute, the annual cost of cyber crimes to companies has jumped by 19 percent. Currently, the average cost to companies worldwide has exceeded $7.7 million. Hackers are costing businesses not only money, but jobs as well. With an increase of attacks to companies, October has been designated National Cyber Security Awareness Month by Homeland Security to raise awareness about cyber security and provide education about the risks involved.
As a business your company’s information and privacy is at risk every time you are on the Internet, so follow these simple tips from the Department of Homeland Security to keep your company better protected.
- Make sure all computers have antivirus software and antispyware.
- Secure your Internet connection by using a firewall and hiding your WiFi network.
- Educate employees about cyber threats and how to protect your organization’s data.
- Use encryption technologies to protect data in transit.
This year also marks the fifth anniversary of the Stop.Think.Connect. campaign which is a national public awareness campaign aimed at increasing understanding of cyber security. Check out their online resource guides for information and tips to be more secure.
For more information about how to keep your data safe, review our web page about disaster recovery.
