The Department of Homeland Security has declared October National Cyber Security Awareness Month. In its thirteenth year, the program seeks to educate the public and private sector about Cyber Security threats and ways to guard against them with a focus on protecting our digital borders.
Attacks in 2016 have hit major companies. From 500 million hacked accounts with Yahoo! to 100’s of Eddie Bauer stores being inflicted with malware. The most common cause of breaches are employees misusing access privileges, according to TripWire. Whether employees do this accidentally or maliciously, training employees on security practices is crucial. Additionally, here are a few tips from Open Forum on how to prevent a breach at your business.
Conduct a risk assessment, evaluate what kind of sensitive information your company holds and what would be the most sought after.
Install Antivirus software on all computers and keep it updated!
Consider moving data to the cloud.
Prevention is essential, but what if your company has a data breach? The consequences may include damage to your reputation/brand, lost revenue or potential liability, according to Business Know How. It’s important to have a response plan in place that is clear, thorough, notifies the right people, properly identifies the problem and clearly communicates messages to those that have been affected. Data breaches and cyber security is tantamount to protecting businesses and customers. Overall, having the right IT managed services program with adequate testing in place will enhance monitoring and mitigate potential threats.
