7 Quick Ways You Can Improve Your IT Security

IT security or cybersecurity has become an essential method for securing computer systems, devices, and data from data breaches and information disclosure caused by skillful hackers. Technology advancements not only bring their advantages but also become a reason for the rising number of cyberattacks. An established or even small company needs to take each and every precaution against hackers and reduce the risks of unauthorized access and data theft.

That is why cybersecurity plays an essential role in protecting your business and securing your sensitive and confidential data. We are here to help you implement these 7 essential steps to reduce the risks of cyber threats.

1.    Prevent Insider Threats and Train Employees

The first and one of the most essential steps in developing your IT security is training your employees. Nothing will have its impact if your employees are not educated enough for preventing cyberattacks. Many businesses feel insecure because of the fear that their employees will endanger the company’s IT security strategy. Workers have an essential role in protecting business data by taking thoughtful actions. So first of all, businesses need to educate their employees about common cyberattacks and provide information on how to fight against them. Raise awareness through organizing training courses at least once or twice a year. Pay extra attention to new employees who may not be aware of implementing cybersecurity in their work.

Your staff should know common measurements that need to be taken for preventing information disclosure, some of which are:

● Paying attention to updates and updating their computers and devices whenever they are accessible.

●      Creating strong and secure passwords and applying two-factor authentication.

●      Changing passwords once every three months or regularly.

●      Not sharing sensitive data of the company and passwords with anyone.

●      Making a backup of sensitive and confidential data.

●      Locking devices whenever they are out of the room.

●      Not entering an untrusted website or downloading not reliable apps.

●      Not clicking on suspicious attachments or links. 

●      Being able to spot scams and identify not reliable emails.

How can they spot phishing emails? Through phishing, cybercriminals want to obtain personal information from users, like credit card numbers and password details. They get that information by deceiving users to open an email, click on a link, open text messages, and an attachment. Now let’s see some common points that will help your employees identify suspicious emails:

●  Emails that request immediate action are generally phishing ones. Cybercriminals use this strategy to urge recipients to complete a particular action without having the chance of examining the email flaws.

●  Another way to identify suspicious emails is grammatical and spelling errors. Mostly, pay attention to grammatical errors.

●      A public email domain is used to send the message.

●      The domain name has spelling errors.

●      The email involves suspicious links and attachments.

●      The email requests sensitive data.

●      The message includes a promise that there would be a reward if the user clicks on a link or opens an attachment.

Also, your employees should download trusted apps and software from credible and reliable sources. For Apple devices, they should go to the App Store, and for Android devices – Google Play. They should check the reviews and see whether there have been any security issues. In this way, your staff can download apps wisely and thoughtfully.

Paying attention to insider threats is essential and you can prevent them by training your employees.

2.   Install Updates

Updates are essential for preventing viruses and reducing the risks of a data breach. Security updates are frequently released to address vulnerabilities discovered by hackers.

You are putting your business at risk if you do not install these upgrades. As more companies allow their employees to work by using their own devices, it's important to have a clear policy in place to ensure that any device connected to your network is updated on a regular basis. These updates help to make sophisticated features available, boost security, and fix any issues that have been discovered. Ensure that all data is encrypted.

3.   Use Strong Passwords

While training your employees you should know what it means to have a strong password. Hackers can quickly crack easy-to-hack passwords and access your sensitive data. With that in mind, you need to create strong passwords to secure your data.

Follow these simple steps to apply a secure password to your devices and computers:

●      Create at least 8 characters passwords.

●      You shouldn’t apply the same password for your different accounts.

●      Don’t include sequential numbers (e.g. 789) or alphabetic order (e.g. efg).

●      Avoid using repeated numbers or letters (e.g. 77777, kkkkk).

●      Avoid using personal information, including your name, birth date, your partner’s name, etc.

●      Use both uppercase and lowercase characters (e.g. AlHo).

●      Look at your keyword and don’t write numbers or letters that are next to one another (e.g. ghjkl, zxcvb).

●      Don’t forget about symbols (e.g. +-*/&*^%) if possible.

●      Implement multi-factor authentication into your devices and operating systems.

●      Change passwords frequently — at least every three months.

4.  Test Security

Hire a competent agency to undertake a security audit to find vulnerabilities that you have never thought about or discovered. Besides an internal audit, it’s essential to have professionals conduct an audit because there might be weaknesses and other scenarios that you didn’t consider.

5.   Be Cautious About Virus and Malware

When anti-virus and anti-malware tools are used simultaneously, your device is protected to the maximum extent possible. To keep your device safe from malicious attacks, you must install both of them. To keep these programs functional, remember to apply updates. As long as you're linked to the Internet, it's impossible to be entirely protected from viruses. As a result, using the most up-to-date anti-virus and anti-malware tools can considerably reduce your vulnerability.

6.  Back up Data

What would you feel if one day your data got lost because of cyberattacks? Stress and the feeling of failure, right? You wouldn’t feel this way if you secured your sensitive information before the incident happened. How?

You can have a backup of your data which means a copy of your confidential information in case the data gets compromised. So, you can restore your original data through the backup. However, the backup and original data should be stored separately. You can also use Data Centre Infrastructure Solutions | Power Distribution to regulate and distribute electrical power to networking equipment in a data center.

7.   Consider Wi-Fi Security

Not to let hackers access your WiFi network, you need to have wireless security. It’s easy to break into computers and steal confidential data through WiFi, so securing a WiFi network becomes essential. With that in mind, you need to ensure that only authorized users can access your network. You should use strong passwords, encrypt wireless networks, and check if all the devices linked to your network are safe. Here are some common tips for securing a WiFi network:

●      Have a router's default name in a way that doesn’t show the company's identity right away.

●      Make sure your passwords are secure.

●      Encrypt the network.

●      Check the security of any devices linked to your network.

●      Use a VPN that helps to transmit sensitive data securely and access the company's network, protecting your online privacy.

●      Set HTTPS on your site and install a SSL certificate that will help encrypt all data exchanged between a user's browser and your web server. It offers a layer of security and trustworthiness.

These were some of the 7 common ways to improve cybersecurity and prevent your data from theft. Apply them in your IT security strategies and stay away from hackers.