Many business owners believe that hackers won’t target their business because they have nothing of value. Think again. Even if your data doesn’t have a direct value to an attacker, it does have a value to you. Ransomware, a form of malicious software designed to encrypt files on victims computers, is used to render data unusable. Cybercriminals then demand money, usually Bitcoin, in exchange for the encryption key which can be used to decrypt the files.
Cybercriminals know that smaller companies are easy targets because they generally don’t take adequate measures to secure their network and computers.
Phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated and ransomware continues to experience record growth. At the same time, new compliance mandates (like POPI) are adding to the cost of attacks, regardless of whether data is recoverable or the victim pays the ransom.
The cost of recovering from a data breach or malware infection is significant, not to mention the potential damage to your company’s reputation.
What steps can you take to protect your organisation?
- User education is key. Cybercriminals use phishing to try and convince users to disclose their username and password or install malicious software.
- Make sure all your computers have reputable anti-virus software installed and that it is up to date.
- Be sure to install operating system updates regularly, as well as any application updates that become available.
- Enable multi-factor authentication for all your online accounts.
- Use strong passwords that cannot easily be guessed and avoid reusing the same password across different websites.
- Limit which users have “administrator rights” and are able to install software on their computers. This greatly reduces the risk of malware or other unwanted software getting installed
- Don’t use pirated software. Not only is it illegal, but malicious software could be included without your knowledge.
- Make sure that you are performing regular backups of your data, preferably offsite.
- Be prepared. Develop a plan with the actions that need to be taken in the event that an account is compromised, or your computers are infected wi
Does the above sound overwhelming? Need professional advice? We help several organisations by managing and securing their IT infrastructure for them. Our managed IT services will ensure that your computer systems are running efficiently, reliably and industry standard security measures are implemented. We also offer security awareness training to educate users about online risks and promote good cybersecurity practices.
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