Skilled hackers can easily access your system and steal private information. Upgrading your cybersecurity can help address this problem. Taking your cybersecurity seriously is a must. Otherwise, you leave the door open for criminals to compromise your privacy and potentially cause legal troubles. With the current situation on the global stage, cyberattacks are on the rise.
You might think that cybercriminals only target large companies due to more resources. But that’s not the case. Whether you’re an individual, a small or medium-sized organization, or a large corporation, you have sensitive data that hackers can utilize and exploit. If it ends up in the wrong hands, your reputation and finances can be in shambles, and you may lose access to vital information.
The good news is that everyone can prevent this scenario, and the best way to do so is to take your cybersecurity measures to the next level and make sure you are fully protected. This article will share the 8 most effective strategies for making your cybersecurity disaster-proof.
Strategy #1 – Upgrade Cloud Security
With the cloud becoming more popular and more affordable, many people are using cloud services for data storage. While cloud storage is cost-effective and convenient, that doesn’t mean you should use just any platform. Look for the most secure ones that prioritize safety features. Some of your best options include Icedrive, pCloud, and Sync.com.
Strategy #2 – Secure Each Part of Your Network
Mobile devices, computers, and laptops connected to your network can be ideal entry points for hackers. Safeguarding these devices with decisive authentication measures is a great way to prevent cyberattacks.
You can benefit from having strong Wi-Fi and device passwords. They limit access and help ensure only you, your family, or your team members can enter your network.
Here are a few guidelines for creating strong yet convenient passwords:
- Don’t go overboard while mixing letters, symbols, numbers, and upper-case characters. Instead, come up with something simpler, but it should still have a minimum of eight characters, preferably ten to twelve.
- Choose something you can easily memorize, or better yet, employ a password manager program such as Keeper Security to securely store your passwords for you.
- Never leave your password hints publicly available.
- Reset your passwords whenever you forget them. In addition, change them at least once a year to keep things fresh.
Strategy #3 – Use Anti-Fraud Services for Card Payments
Seek advice from your banks or your payment processor on selecting trustworthy, validated, and anti-fraud services. Besides protecting your information, if you are a business owner, they can also shield the data of your clients to help preserve your reputation.
Monitor your credit reports and scores using tools like Credit Sesame, Experian Boost, and Credit Karma to quickly be notified of changes to your scores, new account openings, or increases in balances.
Strategy #4 – Incorporate Additional Security Measures
Regardless of the number of your security measures, you can always consider adding more.
Antivirus protection is a must and is the most common tool to combat cyberattacks. It can block malware from compromising your devices and data. Look for programs from reliable providers and only use one antivirus app per device. Bitdefender provides an incredible security software solution called Bitdefender Total Security that is one of the highest rated security solutions in the world and is available for all the devices you use, including mobile phones, tablets, and computers.
Investing in firewall protection is another great idea if you want to safeguard against hackers. They can screen out viruses and other harmful activities on the internet and determine the traffic that can enter your devices. The company Firewalla provides a very user-friendly firewall solution which is easy for a home user to setup and manage and provides network level protection for your home network. Enterprise grade solutions from Untangle provide robust protection for business applications, without breaking the bank or requiring advanced technological knowledge.
Finally, don’t forget about using virtual private networks (VPNs). They can stop web browsers, software, and people from accessing your connection, keeping the data you send and receive anonymous. For more information about VPN’s and ranking on some of the best VPN services currently available, check out the PC Magazine article The Best VPN Services for 2022.
Strategy #5 – Don’t Ignore Upgrades and Updates
After receiving notifications that your technological tools need an update, you might consider ignoring it. However, this can be a huge mistake since outdated systems are more susceptible to hacking.
To prevent this, regularly upgrade and update your devices and software. It can bolster their defenses against cyberattacks. All major operating systems will alert you when updates and security patches are available, don’t ignore them!
Strategy #6 – Back Up Your Data
Ransomware attacks are a common form of hacking. It involves cybercriminals holding you or your business hostage by restricting your access to your data until they receive a ransom payment.
To eliminate this concern, store your information on multiple platforms and networks. We advise employing the 3-2-1 data rule, which means you have 3 copies of your data in 2 separate locations with 1 location being offsite – this means having your working data set (the information on your computer or device that you use daily), plus two additional copies of that data, one being an onsite backup (not on the same device you’re backing up!), and the second being an offsite backup (cloud backup preferably, or a physical backup disk in a separate location).
Operating systems have backup utilities included in their software which can facilitate your onsite backup, simply perform an online search for instructions on setting it up. Cloud backup providers have software which you install on your device and then select the items you want backed up to the cloud. Just like the use of other cloud services, make sure to pay attention to the security measures the cloud backup provider employs, which should include things like encryption, ransomware protection and high availability.
Backing up your data can prevent you or your business from crumbling due to inaccessibility.
Strategy #7 – Train Yourself and Your Team
A huge number of cyberattacks take place because of user ignorance. Some users often click on suspicious emails and fall for phishing schemes or share their passwords without any second thoughts.
Hence, minimizing human error is a must.
Educating yourself on the different cybersecurity attacks and vulnerabilities is a great way to reduce the human error in cybersecurity. The Center for Information Security Awareness offers a free Cybersecurity Training Course for home users that can help you get educated. If you are a business, there are amazing business security awareness training platforms that allow you to get all your employees involved, monitor their progress, and provide continued updates to their training.
Strategy #8 – Regularly Check for Vulnerabilities
You don’t want to be idle after implementing all these defense mechanisms. Instead, conduct regular audits to identify weaknesses of your cybersecurity net. Doing so can help ensure that you patch up your vulnerabilities and upgrade your security system when needed. Pay attention to firewall and security software notifications and updates, watch your anti-fraud and credit monitoring alerts, keep your operating systems and software up to date and employ good cyber hygiene to reduce your risk of cyberattack.