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Essential Cybersecurity Precautions for Your Business
Essential Cybersecurity Precautions for Your Business

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In today’s digital age, cybersecurity is a critical concern for businesses of all sizes. Having attended a recent cybersecurity event hosted by NASSCOM, I’m eager to share some insights and practical precautions that companies should adopt to safeguard their digital assets, IT infrastructure, and employees’ personal devices.

Let’s dive into the specifics of how you can protect your business in these three key areas.

1. Protecting Your Internet Assets

Your online presence, including your website and any online software, is often the first point of contact for clients and potential threats alike. Here are some steps you should take to secure these assets:

Regular Software Updates: Ensure that your website’s CMS (like WordPress), plugins, and any other online software are regularly updated. Software developers frequently release updates to patch vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit.

SSL Certificates: Implement SSL certificates to encrypt data transmitted between your website and its users. This not only secures the data but also boosts your website’s credibility. It has become a hygiene factor in the current times.

Web Application Firewalls (WAF): Use WAFs to protect your web applications by filtering and monitoring HTTP traffic between a web application and the Internet. This helps in blocking malicious traffic and reducing the risk of the site getting hacked.

One of the 1st targets for hackers is your form. Make sure you are doing strong validation and sanitisation of the entered data.

Strong Password Policies: Enforce strong password policies for all accounts associated with your website and online software. Use complex passwords and change them regularly. An interesting technique is to use long and local language passwords which cannot be easily cracked.

Regular Backups: Perform regular backups of your website and database. In the event of a cyber-attack, having a recent backup can help you restore your site quickly.

2. Securing Your Company’s IT Infrastructure

Your IT infrastructure forms the backbone of your business operations. Securing it is paramount to ensure smooth and safe operations:

Network Security: Use firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) to protect your network from unauthorized access and threats. Segment your network to limit the spread of potential breaches.

Endpoint Protection: Install and regularly update antivirus and anti-malware software on all devices connected to your network. This includes servers, desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.

Regular Audits and Penetration Testing: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and fix vulnerabilities. This proactive approach helps you stay ahead of potential threats.

Data Encryption: Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit. This ensures that even if data is intercepted or accessed unlawfully, it cannot be easily read or used.

Password management: The user passwords need to be unique and long, and should be changed frequently. The frequency of password change should be planned carefully as asking people to remember new passwords is not easy and may result in them noting down the same in an unsafe location.

Access Controls: Implement role-based access controls (RBAC) to ensure that employees only have access to the data and systems necessary for their roles. Regularly review and update these permissions.

You must review all the areas that an employee who has just left, had access to and ensure revocation of their access.

3. Securing Employees’ Personal Assets

Employees often use personal devices such as laptops and phones for work-related tasks. It’s crucial to secure these devices to prevent them from becoming entry points for cyber threats:

Mobile Device Management (MDM): Use MDM solutions to manage and secure employees’ mobile devices. This allows you to enforce security policies, remotely wipe data if a device is lost or stolen, and ensure devices are updated.

Secure Wi-Fi Usage: Educate employees about the risks of using public Wi-Fi networks for work-related tasks. Encourage the use of VPNs to secure their internet connections when working remotely.

It is very dangerous to use public wi-fi at airports, railway stations, malls etc. One should prefer to use the Telco’s 4G/5G connection instead which is much safer than these public wi-fis. In the same context, avoid charging your phones through a public charging point as they may have clone devices attached. If you need to charge from these doubtful locations, shut down your phone and then charge it.

Regular Security Training: Provide regular training sessions to educate employees on the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices. Awareness is a key defence against phishing attacks and other social engineering tactics.

Device Encryption: Ensure that employees’ personal devices are encrypted and have secure access restrictions like a complex passkey. This adds an extra layer of security, protecting data if the device is lost or stolen.

Strong Authentication: Encourage the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) for accessing work-related accounts and applications. The same rules apply to social media accounts like Facebook. This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

By implementing these cybersecurity precautions, you can significantly enhance the security posture of your business. Remember, cybersecurity is not a one-time task but an ongoing process. Stay vigilant, stay updated, and make security a core part of your company’s culture.


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