Cloud operations have become part of the daily working world. With remote work becoming a top priority for businesses in 2020, it is more important than ever to make sure they are protected against cyberattacks. According Entrepreneur.com, the Committee on Small Business, “60 percent of small to medium-sized businesses go out of business within six months following a cyberattack.” The Small Business Administration states that “43% of online attacks target small businesses!” Taking the time to do an audit of your services can help prevent you from dealing with threats that could shut down your business. At Five 9’s Communications, we specialize in protecting small to medium-sized businesses with cybersecurity issues.

Password Security

Most people absolutely dislike changing their passwords and having to learn a new one, but 81% of security breaches are caused by weak passwords! When you re-use the same passwords for everyone in the company, it can weaken your businesses overall security. We recommend having employees use unique passwords and change them regularly to prevent data breach risks. Another simple tip to protect your system is to use two-factor authentication to give an extra layer of security.

If employees resist the requirement to remember a new password, one option is to have them use a tool like LastPass. This handy plug-in extension will allow them to use one password to get into LastPass, where all their website user names and passwords are held, and can be plugged into backend logins that require new passwords monthly or annually. Mitigating phishing vulnerability from employees is one of the easiest ways to take a step in the right direction to protect your business.

Regular Software Updating

Another way cyberattacks occur is by having outdated programs. New software updates will enable the latest security protection from providers. Software updates are designed with patch updates in areas where software could be vulnerable to attacks, or have issues working correctly.

Backup, Backup, Backup!

One way to protect data is by backing it up regularly! If you place all your company information in a server and do not place proper backups in place, you may experience business impacting data loss. A server needs to be secured and watched to ensure risks are identified. Backing up your system will make sure company information is safe and can be restored immediately in the event of a data loss.

Proper Employee Training

Employees need to receive correct training to understand how to keep their systems safe. 94% of malware attacks come via email. Do your employees know how to spot these emails? Do your employees know how to identify suspicious emails and delete them? Phishing attempts normally include information about downloading files, causing malware to be in your system. According to SmallBizTrends, only 31% of employees receive annual cybersecurity training.

To protect your company you need to hold regular trainings on these issues and how your company is facing them. Create company policies to ensure software updates are completed and employees follow company protocol for Internet safety.

Protect WiFi Network and Devices

With many employees working at home, it is vital to make sure they are using a secured WiFi connection. If employees are working at home, are they using a company laptop or a personal one? All devices used to access the company information needs security. Consider using a stronger authentication program to protect devices from threats.

VPN-capable Firewall

Utilize a VPN-capable firewall to encrypt company information no matter where you or your employees are working. VPN helps to protect brute-force attacks, and it will provide information on intrusion attempts and flags harmful websites.

Contact the experts at Five 9’s Communication to learn about your company’s risk profile. We are here to help you identify vulnerable areas of your business, and show you how to protect it. If you suspect malicious activity, contact our team immediately for help. We can help mitigate the cyberattack and help you understand what to do next.