1. Keep employees informed and updated

Although the technology itself is important, one of the most helpful things you can do as you work to improve your cybersecurity is to keep your employees informed about the latest cybersecurity measures. If your staff stays in the know about what to look out for and how to prevent cyberattacks before they even start, your company will fare well in the battle against cybercrimes. This means your company should provide employees with the proper education regarding internet usage through regular training requirements. Staying informed about the best ways to work on the network and the devices within it is crucial, so receiving updated information on a regular basis can transform the way your employees use technology within the company.

2. Maintain your software diligently

Another simple, necessary step to keeping your company’s data safe is always running the latest version of all softwares on your network. Although it may not seem like outdated software can impact the cybersecurity of your business, that notion is actually far from the truth. When software updates are released, even minor ones, that means that the developers have improved the way it works or patched vulnerabilities or issues that you may not even be aware of. Regularly updating every software you use is critical to avoiding weaknesses that may be exploited by hackers. This can easily be maintained by enabling automatic updates.

3. Don’t forget about mobile devices

Especially in the current day, enhanced cybersecurity on smartphones is more important than ever. Our mobile devices have incredible capabilities, and many of us complete work-related tasks on our phones whether we work from home, from the office, or in some sort of hybrid situation. However, we often forget that our mobile devices need to uphold certain standards as well in order to maintain high levels of security within our companies. For cybercriminals, smartphones can be an easy target considering how many people leave their mobile devices unprotected from threats. These devices should be password protected and use some form of data encryption to prevent any bad actors from stealing data. Any downloads should also be company approved to verify the safety of your data.

4.Always keep a backup (or two!)

Having a backup can be a saving grace for companies of any size when they go through any cybersecurity issues or even just technical difficulties. Even without the threat of cybercrime, we all know technology experiences glitches unexpectedly, and sometimes these glitches result in downtime or loss of data. For any business, compromised data can be a completely devastating event that ends in missing files, financial problems, and loss of trust from customers and clients. For this reason, it’s a must to have at least one form of backup. A backup on an external drive is a great option, but an even better option is using a cloud service, as these can continuously sync your files in real time to ensure you have the most up-to-date backup possible at all times.

5. Be discerning about permissions

When you set up user profiles in your network, you’re able to set permissions for what each employee has access to. Over time, these permissions may change. It’s important to stay on top of what each employee is permitted to access. Allowing unnecessary access to items that should be restricted can threaten the security of your data. Each employee should only have access to what they need for their role.

6. Encrypt your information

Another critical part of protecting your data is making sure you utilize encryption to keep your information safe. What exactly does it mean to encrypt your data? Encryption encodes information, translating it into another format that can only be accessed with a decryption key — or in simpler terms, a password. This is a simple way to tackle the task of protecting your data and information. It also adds an extra barrier of security. Let’s say that, despite your best efforts, a cybercriminal manages to steal information from your network. If it’s encrypted, those stolen files may be rendered absolutely useless, making this an excellent method to protect your data.

7. Use multi-factor authentication

Last but certainly not least, it’s always recommended to require multi-factor authentication to access restricted areas of your network. This means that the user needs to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to certain areas of the system. MFA is especially important for sensitive personal information, as it does a great job of preventing cybercriminals from infiltrating and obtaining private data. This is crucial to the wellbeing of your company, as this data is the most important part of what you do.

Keep your business safe from cyberattacks!

Although the risk factors involved with the current digital landscape can feel challenging to combat, the good news is that increasing your cybersecurity isn’t an impossible task. In fact, with the proper know-how, it can be extremely simple. When you want to improve your business’s cybersecurity measures, one of the most effective strategies is to enlist the help of a managed IT service. Enter GoodSuite. Here at GoodSuite, we guide your business with the technology solutions you need to be the best you can be. Through stability, security, and scalability, we drive business growth. Interested in discovering the solutions we can provide to your company? Request a consultation today, and learn more about our services!