A few decades ago, the technology in your office would have been limited to a few PCs, a phone line, and maybe even a fax machine. These days, as so many different devices are constantly accessing the internet, this technology is creating so many more threats for your business every single day. Here are three ways you can make sure you can prevent the threats this technology poses.
Protect the network
The first and most important aspect to consider when preventing any cyber threats to your business or your home is to make sure your network is secure. If somebody was able to access your network, they would be able to affect every single computer that has access to the internet. The same attack might even threaten the security of any mobile devices, including smartphones, laptops, or tablets, that are logged onto that network’s wi-fi. As they have access to every device, an attack on your network could put every single file on each of those devices at risk. Even if you can’t access one of those files for a short amount of time, it could have a huge effect on any business being able to function properly.
As someone gaining unpermitted access to your network could cause so many problems, it’s important that you make sure it is as protected as possible. Firstly, install a physical firewall, such as those available on sonicwallonline.co.uk, to prevent any malicious attacks to your network. A firewall works very much like the name suggests. Imagine a wall of fire around your building. It would mean that nobody would be able to get into the building and also prevent any of your most vital assets to be taken from the building. A virtual firewall works in very much the same way, preventing any malicious files from entering your network and preventing any important files from being taken by cyber criminals.
Further protect each computer
Whilst the vast majority of the threats to your computer systems will be transferred online, it would be naive to think that the internet is the only way that these malicious files can end up on your computer. Somebody simply plugging an external hard drive into a PC could mean that a virus or malware software could have the opportunity to damage your computer within seconds. Your employee might not even be aware that there is a virus on the hard drive, as it might have been unknowingly transferred from a previous PC the device was plugged into. That is why it’s important that every PC also has anti-virus software, which can scan every file to check it is safe before somebody clicks to open the file or run the program.
Protect the user
In 2021, many cyber criminals don’t even need to get somebody to mistakenly download a malicious file to be able to access personal data. In fact, one of the most popular methods used to steal data these days is to impersonate someone else and simply ask for the data. For example, a cyber criminal could create an email that looks exactly like one you’d receive from your bank, warning you about a problem with an account and asking you to send them your details so they can fix it. It’s important to teach your employees when to spot a fake email like this so they don’t fall victim to these crimes.