Prevent Cyberattacks With These 10 Best Practices
February 28, 2022
On average, there is a cyberattack every 39 seconds, with roughly 43% of cyberattacks happening to small businesses. Unfortunately, cyberattacks are becoming increasingly common every day, but being proactive in your cybersecurity can help prevent you or your business from becoming a victim of cyberattacks.
Here are some best practices when it comes to your cybersecurity and staying safe online:
1. Do not use outdated equipment or operating systems for anything, but certainly for anything personally identifiable. Healthcare, financial, and even personal hobby websites are all potential places where information can be collected and used against you. Update your router, computer, phone, tablet, and anything else that connects to the internet. Check for updates at least monthly.
2. Be vigilant and educated in safe online practices. Use unique passwords for each and every login account for both professional and personal use. Do not store your passwords in Chrome, Edge, or Safari. A notebook and pencil are nearly hack proof. Use multifactor sign-in everywhere it is offered.
3. Use precautions when responding to emails. Avoid using embedded links. Never enter a username/password when taken to a login screen from a clicked email link. If you do not trust it, do not respond to it. All malicious emails require some level of user response. Thus, if you have even the smallest concern about something, do not act further on it. This also goes for SMS text messages and other messaging apps.
4. Automated software has always been part of security and privacy but is not as relevant as it once was. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use an antivirus or endpoint security product (such as Malwarebytes) because you should. However, do not become solely reliant on it.
5. Consider the impact of voice-controlled devices that you have authorized in your home, business, and on your person. The convenience of having Alexa or Siri “at the ready” also poses the risk of hackers scraping metadata from your past searches and conversations.
6. If your wireless router was installed more than three years ago, it is time to look at getting the firmware upgraded. Use the latest encryption that is offered (WPA2) and change all default settings. Do not use the wireless network name and password on the sticker. Do not use your family name, address, or any personally identifiable information on your network name or password. If you have Xfinity’s “shared” WiFi router, have them turn off their wireless signal.
7. Avoid using public wireless connections. Use the data connection on your phone instead. If you do choose to use a public connection, then avoid logging into apps or websites that contain personal identifiable information.
8. Keep business and personal affairs separate. For example, do not log into your personal Chrome profile on your company’s network or computer and vice versa.
9. Separate devices at home. For example, do not let children use your computer (or login profile) to surf the web or play games. Do not use your child’s game machine to log into anything personally identifiable.
10. Additional privacy can be gained through opting out of targeted advertising and allowing location access by apps and websites. You may want to consider using DuckDuckGo in place of Google or Bing. DuckDuckGo is an internet search engine that emphasizes protecting searchers’ privacy.
Implementing these best practices are the first steps in protecting yourself, and your business, from potential cyberattacks. Ready to take your business cybersecurity to the next step? Reach out to us to learn about our Managed Services, and see which plan is best for you.
Written by Paul Stoessel, Director of Managed Services