Cyber Security Best Practices Now!

Cyber-attacks are a growing threat to businesses of all sizes and can result in significant financial losses and damage to a company's reputation. In today's digital age, it is essential for businesses to take proactive steps to protect their systems and data from cyber threats.

One of the first things businesses should focus on is data protection. This includes measures such as encrypting sensitive information, regularly backing up data, and implementing access controls to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to critical systems and data. It's important to be extremely cautious with data protection as it is the first line of defense against cyber-attacks.

In addition to data protection, businesses should also focus on protecting their networks and devices from cyber threats. This includes implementing a strong firewall with clear policies, protecting all company devices both inside and outside of the network, and using reliable anti-virus and security solutions. It is important to test the resource usage of the AV/security solutions before deploying to ensure that the devices won't be slowed down significantly.

One of the biggest risks to businesses is their own employees. It is easy to trick or spoof an employee into doing something that could lead to a data breach. This can be mitigated by running anti-phishing campaigns and training employees on how to identify and avoid phishing attempts.

Businesses should also perform regular security vulnerability assessments, using the same tools that black hat hackers use to identify potential vulnerabilities in their systems and networks. Fixing these vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers can go a long way in reducing the risk of a cyber-attack.?Therefore, Advance2000 does external penetration tests for all of our cloud clients every day (for no additional cost) and then stores the results in our client’s “myportal” so they can see their vulnerabilities and immediately fix.??We assume the worst-case scenario to do our penetration tests.?We launch a “white hat hacker” scan from an internal server with full domain admin credentials (thus simulating a hacker gaining access to one of your internal servers).?From this vantage point, we can see all client’s internal and external IP addresses.?This provides our clients with a comprehensive, current vulnerability assessment with actionable advice.

In addition, Advance2000 also offers a full internal/external/on premise/cloud/home user penetration test for up to 300 nodes (IP addresses) for $1500.?Many of our clients are on a quarterly schedule for full penetration/vulnerability assessment, which is required by many cyber insurance companies.

Another important step is to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users. This makes it much more difficult for hackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data.

Regular patching is also critical to maintaining the security of your systems. Keeping a log of all patches and ensuring that they are applied in a timely manner can help ensure that all known vulnerabilities are quickly addressed.

Finally, businesses should consider purchasing cyber security insurance to mitigate the financial impact of a cyber-attack. However, it's important to note that some hackers have no intention of returning the data even if the ransom is paid. Thus, it is imperative to have all of the other mentioned measures in place to try and prevent an attack in the first place.

In conclusion, cyber-attacks are a serious threat to businesses and require a proactive approach to security. By focusing on data protection, protecting networks and devices, educating employees, and implementing security best practices, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of a cyber-attack and minimize the impact if one does occur.

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