Cyber in every fiber – Prevention better than cure
Welcome back to our series on Cyber security
Today we will focus on prevention of attacks. You should know that no solution is always 100% perfect but by implementing some of the tips below it should give you the best chance to prevent an attack.
Like we say at the top, prevention is better than cure so lets see what the Doctor has recommended.
Antivirus
Turn on your antivirus. There’s a good chance your computer already has antivirus software built in. If it doesn’t, or you don’t think it’s sufficient, there are plenty of free and paid antivirus programs to avail of.
Modern antivirus programs typically have two methods of finding and removing malware from your system. The first is a simple system scan, in which the antivirus will sift through every file on your computer to look for, quarantine, and remove malware. The second is real-time scanning, in which running processes and downloaded files are scanned as they appear on your computer and flagged accordingly.
VPN
Short for virtual private network, a VPN encrypts all of your internet traffic and routes it through a remote server in a location of your choosing. Commercial VPNs are typically paid subscription services that you can use by installing an app on your device. They have two primary effects.
The first is that all of your data is secured in an encrypted tunnel until it reaches the VPN server. This prevents your ISP and hackers on wifi networks from snooping on any of your internet activity and your traffic’s final destination.
The second is that your IP address, a unique number that can be used to identify your device and location, is masked behind the VPN’s server address. This helps to anonymise your internet activity.
Firewall
A firewall is an essential defence against unsolicited internet traffic coming or going from your computer. Firewalls are installed on almost all modern operating systems and NAT firewalls on most routers.
Passwords
We suggest that you use strong, unique passwords, these tend to be even safer than Facial reignition and fingerprint scanners. To help use a password generator to create random, unique passwords for each of your accounts. Use a password manager so you don’t have to memorise them or write them down.
Phishing
Besides a good spam filter, there’s not much protection against phishing attempts. You just have to know how to spot them. Don’t open links or attachments in unsolicited emails or text messages. Always look for valid HTTPS certificates on websites where you need to input a password or financial information.
If you’re unsure about an email, contact the sender by some other means or ask a question that only they would know to verify their identity. Never, ever give out passwords or other private information in an email.
Security updates
Don’t ignore security updates. Not updating your software not only endangers your device, but everyone on your network. Once a security update has been issued, hackers will deliberately target that software and users who ignore the security updates.
Train your staff
This is the most simple of all of the solutions mentioned. Training your staff on how they should react if they get strange emails or how they should handle data is very important. Also do your staff have mobile phones? If so, they should have it properly protected by an MDM solution and strong password.
Most breaches will come from human error so focusing some time on training will be invaluable to your business.
I hope you got some helpful information from today that will help your business be more secure.
Like always, if I can help you further and suggest some solutions for your particular business I would be happy to help. Contact me today - john@stability.ie
Next time in our Cyber blog series we will look into Phishing