Cyber Security Awareness Month: Time To Get Serious About Online Safety

To wrap up Cyber Security Awareness Month the team at OX IT Solutions have put together their top tips to combat digital fraudsters and protect your data online.

We want to raise the profile of common cybercrimes and highlight the simple but effective precautions businesses and organisations of all sizes should take to stay safe online. To do this we are offering all businesses free, remote cyber security reviews to help them identify weaknesses within their IT infrastructure.

Data theft and cyber-attacks are growing at an alarming rate year after year and becoming increasingly sophisticated. It is more important than ever for businesses to make cybersecurity a priority.

Using unique passwords, additional security levels like multi-factor authentication, regularly backing up data and managing software updates are some of the areas people need to consider when using computers, tablets and smartphones.

Chris Cope, OX IT Solutions director said: “Most people are online daily both for work and leisure and lead busy lives, so it is easy to forget or be complacent about cyber security.

“But the smallest gap in the armour is how hackers break into websites, cloud storage, email, social media accounts and bank accounts to issue ransom notes, steal identities and data to sell on the dark web and even take money.

“They rely on security settings not being up to date – it is like leaving the front door of your home unlocked, open and unattended. Cyber Security Awareness Month is a good way of reminding people of the issue and some simple steps they can take to protect themselves to stay one step ahead of hackers.”

Install advanced anti-malware software and firewalls

Malware is malicious software that looks to infect, corrupt and disable networks and devices. It can come in the form of a virus, ransomware or spyware. Malware is a threat that is difficult to counter if you don’t have the right protection or follow the proper guidelines.

Installing advanced anti-malware solutions will keep your endpoints secure and allow you to detect threats in real-time to maintain your defences. Firewalls monitor inbound and outbound network traffic to block malicious software before it can reach your device.

Keep software up to date

Hackers look to gain access through old or out-of-date software by exploiting vulnerabilities. Staying up to date with patch management and the latest software will minimize weaknesses in infrastructure.

Staff training

Email phishing is the single largest vector of infection for cyber-attacks in the UK. Acronis estimates up to 94% of malware is delivered by email worldwide. Luckily, with the right training, most phishing attacks are easy to spot. Promoting vigilance and education amongst staff seriously reduces the number of low-level breaches.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about phishing

Don’t share passwords

Up to 80% of data breaches involve stolen or weak passwords as the main vulnerability. Weak passwords are a serious liability for your business. Today’s security landscape shows that using stolen credentials to breach network resources is the number one tactic that hackers use.

It takes just one weak or cracked password for a cybercriminal to gain access to your data and accounts. Implementing multi-factor authentication is the single most important security enhancement you need to prevent a password breach.

Back up data

To avoid the most serious consequences of a malware attack, it is vital that companies have backup copies saved remotely which cannot be accessed. Valuable data is often lost or destroyed as a result of a cyber security breach. Making regular backups through the cloud or external storage will reduce downtime in the event of an attack.

To find out more about our free, remote cyber security reviews contact one of our friendly team today.

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