Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other breakthrough technologies have become a helpful tool for many people, including cybercriminals. AI can write sophisticated phishing emails, create realistic deepfake scams, and use other techniques to exploit businesses’ vulnerabilities. If you want to be able to defend your business against the latest cyberthreats, you need to use the latest cybersecurity tactics available. Continue reading to understand the necessary steps every business should take to keep their sensitive information secure and out of the hands of hackers.
Conduct a Risk Assessment
Before you can start strengthening your cybersecurity systems, you need to understand where in your business you are most vulnerable. To do this, you need to conduct a risk assessment. Start by creating a list of all the hardware, software, and data needed to run your business. This way every piece of IT infrastructure is accounted for.
Once you’ve identified your digital assets, assess the types of cyberthreats likely to target your business. For example, phishing attacks are a very common cybersecurity threat that can easily target you via email, text message, or even phone call. In fact, they are likely only going to become more persistent. According to the Harvard Business Review, 60% of participants in a 2024 study fell victim to AI-automated phishing attacks. AI has put many businesses on edge as it can create convincing scam messages at an unparalleled rate. Therefore, it’s important that you account for threats like these which are likely to target someone in your employ. Addressing vulnerabilities before cybercriminals can exploit them is the only way to protect your data.
Keep Systems and Software Up to Date
Out-of-date applications and operating systems are a major threat to your cybersecurity. Every new update comes with cybersecurity patches to address vulnerabilities cybercriminals have found. If you don’t update your software regularly, you give cybercriminals an easy target since they already know where your weak spot is. To avoid these kinds of cyberthreats it’s best to automate your updates so you never miss a patch. This way, cybercriminals can’t exploit known vulnerabilities in your systems. By the time they find one, you will have already updated your cybersecurity defenses.
Use Strong Access Controls
Remote or hybrid work has become common in many businesses and while convenient, it creates new cybersecurity risks. Businesses are no longer able to restrict access to only those on their network since so many people now work from home and use their own internet connection to access sensitive data. This leaves the door wide open for cybercriminals to pose as an employee working from home and gain access to private information.
To combat this cybersecurity threat, businesses need to implement the Zero Trust model which never trusts and always verifies login attempts form employees, no matter where they are. This works hand in hand with multifactor authentication (MFA), which requires more than just a username and password for someone to log into a private account. MFA verifies who is really accessing a system by sending a one-time code to a previously provided email, phone number, or authentication app. With this cybersecurity measure in place, even if a hacker guesses your password, they won’t be able to access your account’s information since they won’t receive the security code.
Regularly Back Up Data
Having a strong cybersecurity plan in place isn’t just about stopping cyberthreats, it’s also about how to respond if you do experience a data breach. The last thing you want is to have your systems and sensitive information compromised and not know what to do next. Implement a backup strategy guarantees you’ll have access to at least some of your sensitive data if a breach occurs. This starts with regularly backing up your data, so you always have another copy of your current information. Take this one step further by using the 3-2-1 approach. In this method you create three copies of your data, with two copies being stored on different types of media and at least one being stored offsite. Now if the cybersecurity systems on your main computer system are cracked, you still have access to your vital data.
Train Employees on the Latest Cybersecurity Tactics
Your cybersecurity defenses are only as strong as your employees. If they don’t know how to spot or respond to cyberthreats then your business is extremely vulnerable. Conduct regular training sessions on cybersecurity to keep everyone in your business up to date on the latest threats and defense mechanisms. Training sessions should include topics like how to recognize and respond to a phishing scam, create and protect strong passwords, and respond to data breaches to mitigate damage. They should also include simulations of cybersecurity threats to test your employees’ knowledge of how to handle them. This way you ensure that everyone in your business knows how to prevent and respond to cyberattacks, protecting your data even further.
Ready to Grow Your Cybersecurity Skills?
Strengthening your business’ cybersecurity is an ongoing effort since you need to be able to keep up with evolving cyberthreats. Staying up to date on the latest cybersecurity practices doesn’t have to be difficult though. Sign up for our free weekly e-course to receive tips and lessons that will help you grow your cybersecurity efforts and effectively protect your business.
