Cybersecurity threats are a growing concern for businesses worldwide, making it critical to protect your enterprise from an attack. The truth is that you never know when you’re next, especially when the national statistics indicate that 2.3 million cases of computer misuse were recorded last year. As you plan for robust security measures to safeguard your business’s sensitive data, remember that everything you do is geared toward maintaining reputation and customer trust. This page explores three actionable strategies to keep hacking threats at bay.
1. Implement strong password policies
Implementing strong password policies is one of the simplest yet effective ways to prevent unauthorised access to your systems. While incorporating this into your operations, it’s important to include your employees in your company’s strong password policy. Please encourage them to use a complex alphanumerical combination system to create passcodes. The more informed your employees are about your business’s strong password policy, the fewer issues you will have with various forms of cyberattacks. It would be helpful to add special characters to this password combination to make them even more impenetrable.
In more recent times, businesses have adopted a multi-factor authentication (MFA) system for an added security layer. By requiring two or more forms of verification, the MFA makes it difficult for hackers to infiltrate your online and digital systems. However, it’s not enough to have a strong password, especially at a time when you can use password management tools to store and reduce the use of weak or reused passwords.
2. Securely dispose of electronic waste
Only a few people know the risk that comes with disposing of electronic waste without taking certain security measures. Moreover, at a time when it is unlawful to dispose of electronic waste at landfill sites, it’s time to consider other measures. Old computers, smartphones, and even your business printers contain sensitive data that hackers can retrieve with special technology. No business enterprise wants hackers to exploit their vulnerabilities, which is why you must consider solutions like e waste recycling. Securely discarding unwanted data doesn’t only protect your business but also demonstrates your commitment to environmental responsibility. Experts say improper e-waste disposal can jeopardise your business’s data security when hackers get their hands on them. Therefore, it’s better to partner with a reputable e-waste recycling company, which will ensure that all data is wiped off or physically destroyed to prevent recovery.
3. Stay updated on security patches and software updates
As a security-conscious business, you must never ignore software upgrades you receive on your business’s computers and other digital devices. These upgrades often contain security patches to resolve glitches that hackers could use to steal sensitive data. Doing away with obsolete work devices with compromised security systems demonstrates your vigilance and helps you prevent unauthorised access to your networks. Because you are likely to forget these updates and risk human errors, you should implement a regular automatic schedule to streamline all systems connected to your network. It will also be in your business’s interest to monitor industry news for relevant alerts or updates that can boost your digital security.
