The Easiest Ways to Improve Cybersecurity in the Workplace
Keeping your workplace safe from digital threats is more important than ever, but with increasingly sophisticated attacks and savvy cybercriminals, it’s also more challenging. Luckily, some of the best ways to prevent cyberattacks on your business are also the simplest, and you don’t need to hire a cybersecurity consultant to implement them.
Keep reading to learn the easiest ways you and your employees can improve cybersecurity in the workplace.
Eight Cybersecurity Dos and Don’ts for Your Business
You don’t have to completely overhaul your security controls to significantly impact cybersecurity in the workplace. Here are a few easy cybersecurity dos and don’ts you can handle in-house that will boost your security posture.
Do: Lock Up Your Devices
It’s not hard to see why passwords are essential; without them, anyone could get into your network, access your software programs, and steal your company’s private information. But the way you use your passwords is just as critical as having them in the first place.
Whether your employees are in their office cubicle or working from a coffee shop hundreds of miles away, they should always secure any devices they use for work, including laptops and cell phones. You should also enforce strict rules to ensure your team members regularly update their passwords, create strong passwords that aren’t easy to guess, and use unique ones for each account.
Don’t: Just Rely on Passwords
Implementing a strong password strategy is only step one in preventing unauthorized access to your network. While a hard-to-guess password may be able to stop many cybercriminals from getting in, it isn’t foolproof. That’s why you should rely on multi-factor authentication for critical accounts.
Multi-factor authentication requires at least two forms of identification to log in to an account, such as passwords, fingerprints, push notifications, and unique codes. After entering the first credential, your employees will be required to input a second, adding an extra layer of security to their accounts. If a malicious actor steals one of your team members’ passwords, it’s unlikely they’ll get past the second layer of authentication.
Do: Get a Cyber Insurance Policy
An insurance policy won’t actively help you improve your cybersecurity in the workplace, but it gives you the financial resources you need to recover from a cyberattack. A comprehensive cyber liability policy can pay to uncover the cause of a data breach, communicate to affected customers that their personal information was compromised, hire a public relations team to limit reputational damage, recoup lost profits during downtime, and even cover ransom costs. Many policies also pay lawsuit costs if a third party sues you for damages following an attack on your network.
No matter how advanced your information security controls are, a cybercriminal can strike when you least expect it—so adding this extra layer of financial protection is absolutely critical for large and small businesses.
You may need to comply with even more requirements to secure a cyber insurance policy. Learn more about your responsibilities and how to ensure you get the coverage you need.
Don’t: Forget Updates
It can take a lot of work to keep track of every software system, cloud-based platform, and other digital tools you use to run your business. But you need to be diligent about ensuring each one, including your operating system, gets updated regularly. Skipping updates can leave your network vulnerable to bugs and security gaps for cybercriminals to exploit, so it’s essential to apply updates as soon as they’re available.
Do: Use a VPN to Prevent Cyberattacks on Your Business
Now that the workplace is no longer just the office, employers must be extra cautious about the connections their employees use to access sensitive information. Requiring employees to log in to your network through a virtual private network (VPN) can help keep your data safe, whether they’re in the office or using public Wi-Fi at an airport lounge.
Don’t: Lose Track of Hardware and Software
Defending every aspect of your IT infrastructure requires you to know exactly what that infrastructure consists of, including physical devices (hardware) and digital programs (software). As a result, you should keep an inventory of your organization’s IT assets and update it each time you remove or add an application or device. A digital inventory tool can help you stay organized and up to date.
Do: Share Cybersecurity Tips for Employees
Even with the best IT team and cybersecurity in the workplace, it only takes one unaware employee clicking on a phishing email to introduce a threat to your network. Luckily, security awareness training can go a long way in preventing avoidable mistakes across your organization.
You should educate employees on your company’s cybersecurity best practices, from recognizing signs of a phishing attack and avoiding social engineering scams to creating secure passwords and utilizing a VPN connection.
Don’t: Overlook Existing Security Features
While it’s important to implement your own security controls, don’t overlook the existing security measures that come with your applications and platforms. The companies that developed the products you use know those environments best and often offer robust security tools to keep your data safe. So, when you purchase a new piece of software for your business, assess its existing security features and take advantage of them in combination with your current security practices.
Enhance Your Cyber Risk Management With Southpoint
Staying one step ahead of cybercriminals isn’t easy—but it helps to have risk management experts on your side. At Southpoint, we help clients understand their risks so that they can effectively manage them with cybersecurity in the workplace. And if those preventative measures fail, we ensure that our clients have an affordable cyber insurance policy to protect them from significant financial loss. Whether you run a small medical office or a real estate company, we know how to find the cyber policy that best protects your unique risks.
Don’t let a security slip-up threaten your company’s financial future. Contact Southpoint today to learn about our cyber insurance options and request a quote.
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