Threat invasion: Secure your infrastructure

In this day and age of technology, we could all stand to secure our data more strongly. We’re in the age of one-click buying and complicated passwords. Our data should be more secure than ever, yet many businesses find themselves facing a cyber attack each year. Businesses both big and small are open to attack.

In fact, 58% of malware attack victims are small businesses. That means no organization is safe today. The best way to protect yourself, your employees, and your customers is to have a plan of action to secure your infrastructure. Keep reading to learn ways you can secure your own infrastructure today.

Understand the reality

First, you need to understand the reality of the threat. Cyber hackers are a reality of today. They’re here to stay, and they’re getting more sophisticated at breaking through company firewalls. Cyber attacks aren’t just limited to big businesses. While most of the recent attacks that gain the most attention have included large companies like Target and Neiman Marcus, they’re far from the only ones facing this threat.

The best way to protect your company is to start today. This isn’t a situation where you can blissfully look away and hope for the best. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the types of cyber fraud schemes and different threats happening right now. From there, follow the tips below.

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Encrypt your data

You need to protect your data like it’s gold. Know what data is your most important data, or your crown jewels, and start there. Things like bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and social security numbers all need to be protected from threat first. This starts by turning to full-disk encryption tools. Not only is this incredibly simple, but it’s a good first step.

Don’t stop there. Ensure your company computers have automatic settings so they’ll log out quickly if not in use. It only takes a few minutes of inactivity to let hackers into your network. Don’t be caught with your information out in the open.

Restrict access

As we said, you need to protect your data. Restricting access to only those who need to access to top information is key. While most employees are well-intentioned, they might not be equipped on the best way to keep most information protected. Use software to keep your information in the hands of the right people only. Add intuitive access rights monitoring by SolarWinds to your system to ensure you can review access rights regularly.

Educate employees

Along with monitoring your access, create a culture in your office of education when it comes to cybersecurity. Talk openly about your concerns with your leaders. Make sure they’re aware of the latest trends in security and the most common attacks. Teaching your team the signs of a cyber attack can go a long way to protecting your business.

Security isn’t just one person’s responsibility. It’s everyone’s responsibility, and nobody is immune. Include both management, IT, and lower-level team members in your education program. Focus on continuous education for the upper-level employees with access to more information. Cyber security isn’t one-and-done, you’ll need ongoing updates and meetings to continuously make your team aware of any changes to your infrastructure.

Finally, create rules for employees focused on safety. Set guidelines for using email, browsing social media, and mobile devices at work. You want to create a culture of “safe browsing.” Teach your employees to be skeptical of any strange links and to think of strong passwords. These tips will also help them protect their own information on a regular basis.

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Secure your hardware

Many cyber attacks don’t even involve breaches of your system. Physical electronic equipment is also stolen, and it’s an easy way for hackers to gain valuable information. It’s easy to overlook securing your equipment, but that would be a mistake. Physically lock down your computer with Kensington lock ports. Even just a small tethered cord can go a long way towards protecting your devices.

While there’s no way to 100% protect your equipment from being stolen, this is a great way to deter any potential criminals. Involve employees in keeping your equipment safe. Have everyone lock server rooms, encrypt their digital information, and use cloud computing to store information. Another benefit of cloud computing is being able to track down any devices that are stolen.

Protect your infrastructure

Your company requires your guidance to stay protected against attacks. Cyber attacks are becoming more and more common. They’re the new normal in our digital age, and it’s up to all of us to take steps to deter these hackers from breaching your security.

Your reputation in on the line. Take action today with the tips above to secure your company infrastructure. It’s hard to reclaim employee and customer trust after losing your information to hackers. Don’t become another news story.