Cyber Security Tips For The New Year

Monica Morris • January 4, 2019

The beginning of a New Year is a great time to start fresh and even reflect a little bit. It’s nice to take a moment to restart and set new goals along with keeping your ongoing business goals running. When it comes to protecting sensitive business data for your company, this is an ongoing business goal you will want to take seriously. You’ll want to continue to make sure your online network remains secure in 2019. Each year hackers find new ways to steal data. Don’t let your company be a victim of a cyber security attack. Especially since 2019 has just begun.

Here are some helpful tips to follow to make sure your online information remains safe and you don’t run into any security vulnerabilities.

Think Before You Click

This is something we can’t express enough to be cautious about. Be careful about what link you click. Hackers have found ways to create links that are not trusted or secure. If you click on a link such as one that is created by a hacker you are at great risk for your personal info to be stolen, a password being hacked, malware attack or even financial loss. Steer clear of links that ask for personal information that look like they are from a sketchy or untrusted source. Only click links from a trusted source such as a well-known website.

Password Maintenance

We highly suggest to continue creating passwords that are unique and meet the requirements of a strong password. Many times you might be in a rush to create a new password. It’s okay to take an extra moment to create a password that meets the standards of a strong password. You can even add an extra layer of security and enable Two-Factor Authentication. By adding Two-Factor to your password set-up this adds not only adds extra protection to your computer network, but it is also another security measure to take in order to keep hackers out. Plus, 2 factor also helps to keep hackers away from your business data too.

Take Inventory

The New Year is a nice time to take inventory of your devices. Take a moment and check to see what devices are connected to who, what and where. You may find that you need to update a device, reassign it to someone else, or maybe a device simply needs to be upgraded. It’s good to review these devices yearly to make sure everything it is working properly and is being accessed by the right people.

Don’t Skip Any Updates

As we just mentioned, taking inventory of your devices is good to do to make sure everyone is using the right device. Next – make sure your devices such as laptops, tablets, desktop computers, etc. are all up-to-date. A device that is not up-to-date is vulnerable to an attack. To keep your devices secure and your valuable information safe, make sure to stay on top of your software updates. Also, some software may be due for patches. Patches will help ensure your software continues to run smoothly and that there are no hiccups along the way while you continue your business efforts in the New Year.

Keep Top Priorities A Priority

For cyber security to work, you need to stay on track. Keep your priorities regular and keep your systems in place in order for your network to stay safe. Don’t let any of your priorities fall through the cracks as that can happen from time to time and can cause a network to become unsafe. Sometimes we get so used to how things are that we tend to not keep it a priority anymore. With cyber security, everything is a priority and needs to be treated as such.

If you are looking to make an update to your cyber security plan, before making any changes, contact your Managed Service Provider. An IT support company can guide you in the right direction for the New Year and help implement stronger and more secure safety measures for your organization. An MSP can also help lessen the threat of your business becoming a victim of a cyber security attack.

With that said, we hope these tips are useful. We’d also like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

 

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Risk Assessments and Vulnerability Audits One of the first steps in strengthening your cybersecurity strategy is understanding where your business is most vulnerable. IT support teams conduct risk assessments and vulnerability audits to identify potential weaknesses in your network, applications, and infrastructure. These assessments provide a clear picture of your business's risks, enabling you to take targeted action to mitigate those risks. 2. Implementation of Security Protocols Once vulnerabilities are identified, IT support services implement security protocols tailored to your business’s needs. This may include: Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): Establishing barriers that prevent unauthorized access to your network. Data Encryption: Ensuring that sensitive data is encrypted in transit and at rest, protecting it from cybercriminals. 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