Cybercrime Rises Globally and in Malta: How to Protect Your Business
Date: June 01, 2019Source: Computer Crime Research Center
How to protect your business against hackers
As the Internet has become a routine tool for enterprises, which tend to host and exchange valuable data online, the risk of falling victim to hackers has become critical, which means that installing security tools is necessary for every company. Yet, implementing a sound cyber security strategy is no easy feat. A company must first evaluate its assets, understand its vulnerabilities, and identify potential entry points for malicious attacks in order to protect itself properly. Then it can proceed with drawing up a tailored plan that will take these vulnerabilities into account. Training your employees is of paramount importance, as is hiring the right IT experts to take care of your company.
But as hacker attack vectors become more sophisticated, it is important to also invest in more tailored security solutions, like data anonymization or implementing data masking solutions for sensitive data. Data masking is the process of hiding information by changing it into fictional yet realistic data to reduce exposure to hackers. It also ensures compliance with data privacy legislation, allowing companies to maintain operational integrity in their day-to-day workload without compromising security. Data anonymization offers an extra layer of protection for data that is not used daily. As with any software, updating your cyber security tools is key for ensuring that they function smoothly and that you stay truly protected. In fact, updating your operating system regularly can also greatly enhance your defences, as developers very often release patches that deal with security issues that they have identified. Even when every possible precaution has been taken, disaster can always strike, as hackers keep improving their techniques. For such a case, it is important to have a response plan already set up, so that you can set it in motion as soon as possible.
Even a couple of hours can prove valuable when it comes to disrupting the damage caused by a cyber attack. Containing and stopping the attack is always the priority while implementing a strategy to mitigate the consequences. This could include anything from shutting down systems to avoid infection to sending out a warning to users about a potential spill over effect. Getting your business back up and running is vital for the viability of your company – both in terms of its financial standing and its reputation. That is why when a data breach happens, restoring all systems as quickly as possible is crucial. The only way to do that is by conducting regular backups that will allow you to minimise the volume of data that you lose in an attack. It is hard for a business to do so on their own resources, which is why a professional backup service provider is a great option. Just make sure you choose someone who takes security seriously and implements encryption solutions like Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
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