How to Proactively Tackle Cybercrime in the Workplace
Cyberattacks are a growing concern for both businesses and individuals who use advanced technologies on a daily basis. Plus, according to a recent FBI Internet Crime Report, small and medium-sized businesses are among the main targets which led to losses of around $2.7 billion in 2020 alone.While it’s true that the 2020 wave of cybercrime was encouraged by the pandemic, the situation now is not any better. Cybercriminals still target SMBs looking for valuable customer and business data they can steal or corrupt. However, this tends to happen because many small business owners fail to understand the power and necessity of proper cyber-security measures.When a business gets hit by a cyberattack, it also has to deal with a series of negative side effects such as loss of credibility in front of customers, downtime, loss of valuable data and resources, and fines (among other problems with the authorities). That’s why more businesses are interested in tackling the cybercrime problem before it shows its ugly head.So, if you are a small business looking for ways to keep your workplace safe, here are a few tips to guide you:
- Work with Specialists
- Consider Hiring a CISSP Professional or Paying for an Existing Staff Member to be Trained and Certified
- Educate Employees
- Control Access
- Wrap Up
The times when you could get by just with a powerful antivirus system are long gone. Nowadays, you need a multi-layered cybersecurity system if you want to keep any threats at bay. Plus, you need different solutions for different problems. After all, you wouldn’t want a solution designed to protect your website guarding your financial accounts as well.That’s why, when building your defense systems, it’s important to hire the services of an experienced cybersecurity expert.
Small businesses have the option to outsource the task of designing and building a cybersecurity system. This way, you cut down the costs while also having access to top-trained CISSP professionals.However, you still need specialized assistance for maintenance and scaling the system once the business grows. So you may want to have on-site staff that’s readily available. The good news is that you can have existing staff enlist in a CISSP training online class from Dooey and learn the ropes of the job.
In addition to having highly-trained specialists around, you have to help your employees understand how to protect themselves and the company data they use. Many people are aware of what phishing is, but the attacks are smarter nowadays. Attackers send emails people will open because they come from a trusted institution or an authority figure (like the bank or the government).Also, with remote work becoming more of a common thing nowadays, people need to understand the importance of updating and maintaining the device they use. Outdated software and apps installed from untrusted sources open doors for cyber criminals directly into your company.
Your core business data and resources shouldn’t be easily accessible to anyone who works in your company. This honor should be reserved for a small team of people who you trust and who understand the responsibility they’ve been handed. And even then, you should have a system that logs who accessed what and when.Plus, it’s best to build a hierarchical system that decides who can share what and to whom. This way, you reduce the risk of accidental sharing of confidential information (it has happened!).
The business environment is faster and more dynamic due to technological developments. However, this also implies a certain level of risk if you don’t do anything in your power to keep the business safe.So build your multi-layered system and stay up to date with the latest protection techniques that keep your business safe. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to specialists and ask for their help and expertise.