New Year’s Cyber Security Resolutions for 2017
2017 is finally here, and businesses of all sizes in all industries are making plans to help them grow and become more successful in the new year. Cyber criminals have been working for years on ways to steal information and money, and those threats will undoubtedly continue this year. As you are making resolutions for 2017, you should think about steps you can take to keep your company’s computers and networks and your customers’ data secure.
Eliminate Weak Passwords
One of the most common ways that hackers steal information is by stealing or guessing passwords. Many people use simple passwords that are easy to remember and also easy to guess. If a password is stolen or guessed, the problem often extends far beyond that one account. This is because many people use the same username and password for all of their accounts, including personal and work emails, bank accounts, and online shopping sites. If a hacker steals or guesses a password, that can make all of the accounts that use the same password vulnerable.
You can make your business more secure and protect your data from cyber thieves by reducing your reliance on passwords or making them harder to guess. Encourage your employees to use unique passwords that are difficult to guess for each account. They can use password management software if they cannot remember complex passwords.
Other measures can reduce your company’s reliance on passwords. Your company can implement two-factor authentication, biometrics, or tokens to replace passwords.
Install Patches Promptly
Software companies frequently release patches to fix flaws and vulnerabilities as they are detected. You should make sure you install those patches as soon as possible so you do not fall victim to malware. Go through your company’s procedures and make sure there are no obstacles standing in the way of timely patches.
Use Technology to Detect Threats
You need a multi-pronged approach to protect your business from the many threats it faces. You can use behavior and integrity monitoring to detect unusual activities in your network. Application control can search non-malicious routines, files, and processes to operate on systems. Machine learning can determine whether or not files and behaviors in the network are malicious. Network segmentation can prevent an attack from affecting the entire network.
Protect Your Business from Ransomware
Ransomware was a major problem in 2016. New forms are introduced almost every day. In 2017, cyber criminals are expected to employ new tactics to target new victims. Use application control to protect your company’s mission-critical computers from ransomware.
Educate Your Employees on Cyber Security
Employees are often a company’s weakest link in terms of security. Social engineering attacks encourage users to click on a link or attachment in an email that appears to be from a trusted source. Educate your employees on how to spot emails that are potential social engineering attacks and tell them never to click on links or attachments that are sent to them from unknown sources. Encourage them to report any suspicious emails and to alert IT staff if they click on a link or attachment without fear of repercussions.
How ASG Information Technologies Can Help Your Business in 2017
Now that 2017 is here, you should be making resolutions to improve the security of your business this year. ASG Information Technologies has helped businesses of all sizes across Connecticut with cyber security measures to protect their networks and data. Contact ASG Information Technologies today to learn more about how we can help keep your business secure in 2017.