Back in 2017, a lot of companies fell prey to cyber-attacks and hacking. That was due in large part to the lack of security measure companies had during that time. Some companies were able to fend off the attacks due to the choices they made with protection. Other companies were not so lucky.
Now, it is 2020, and we are hoping that some of you are starting to make better choices concerning cyber-attacks and hacking. However, there might be some of you still having issues with what steps to take. It is to those people we speak to now.
1) You are probably going to have some attacks coming from people who have unauthorized access to your records. Now, you might think that it is only outsiders that could do some damage. That is not true and here is why.
Did you fire someone within the company lately? That is a trick question, we know. Studies have shown that those with a grievance towards their former employer will take matters into their own hands.
This is not a new concept. That is why you should consider getting directors and officers liability insurance. It protects you if something does happen. This is one example of what can happen if you do not access your threats and see what is going. You cannot place blinders on and think everything is okay. An attack can come from anyone at any time.
2) You should treat every day like something could happen, but not to the point where you become paranoid about it. Take note of what cyber attackers look for. Remember, cybercriminals only go after certain things. You have to know what to protect and when.
3) Keep an eye on your current employees. You cannot do anything about those who have been let go, aside from what was mentioned above. Some of your current employees might not be as squeaky-clean as you think.
Remember the scene in Stranger(with Halle Berry) where her character took the job to get dirt on the head guy? The same thing could happen to you. We are not saying it will, but you need to keep your guard up. Keep your current employees as motivated and happy as you can. You never know what darkness lurks beneath the surface.
Some of the most consummate criminals have the best outside poker face.
4) Those who do not conduct regular audits should consider it. Regular audits can tell you where the problems are. Hire an outside company to do your audits. Outsiders have a way of finding things you cannot. You are going to be biased because it is your company. Hire a credible auditor to make sure everything is okay.
5) Do you have a sign-off policy? You should get one. A sign-off policy is when you have your employees return their work phones and computers to you at the end of the day. Smaller companies might not have to worry about this as much( but you should still do it). It is the larger companies that are more prone to things. The larger the company, the less time and resources you have to keep an eye on your employees.
6) Protect your data. Use a two-factor authentication process if you have to. Store everything in a cloud-based storage unit with high-level security and applications.
Only those who have secured and rightful access should be able to get access. It is a smaller step that means more. The smaller steps will help reduce the chances of something larger happening.
Leave a Reply