Cut your risk of a Cyber attack

November 2, 2015 by Andy Crow

Cut your risk of a Cyber attack

The recent data hacking of TalkTalk has once again brought the subject of cyber-crime to the headlines. I have written in the past about the dangers it cause your business and it is again worth checking that your company is secure and covered against attempted security breaches.

The problem, of course, is that small businesses often lack the necessary resources and security policies to defend against these attacks, making them an easy target. Cyber criminals are increasingly effective, and their techniques are evolving quickly, whilst the growing number of businesses using cloud services makes them more vulnerable.

In the face of these threats, you should adopt and implement companywide security policies to minimize your weaknesses. The following tips should help:

Take advantage of malware, spyware and firewall software programs.
Make sure that every machine used for company business have malware, spyware and firewall software installed to help catch and eliminate threats before they become problematic.

Manage email security and validate potential threats.
Encrypt your company emails and communications. This will force a hacker to fight through another layer of protection that generally isn’t worth their time when they can steal other information elsewhere without the hassle.

Enforce strict password policies.
Train employees on the importance of using smarter passwords, which are crucial to upgrading cyber security. Although longer, complex and difficult passwords may seem like a hassle to your employees, you should still create a company policy to mandate them.

Train your staff.
Every employee should also be trained on understanding the warning signs of a harmful email or phishing scam.

Take out Cyber Insurance.
Specific cyber insurance can not only cover losses to your revenues but also cover you from hackers using 3rd party data stolen from your company for financial gain, for which you may be liable.

For further information on any of these issues contact Chorus Business Advisers for free consultation on 0845 8671263 or email info@chorusadvisers.co.uk.