October marks National Cyber Security Awareness Month, a time that acts as a valuable reminder for individuals and organisations to evaluate their #cybersecurity.

According to Risk Based Security research newly published in 2019

the first six months of 2019 have seen more than 3,800 publicly disclosed breaches exposing an incredible 4.1 billion compromised records. 

Perhaps even more remarkable is the fact that 3.2 billion of those records were exposed by just eight breaches. As for the exposed data itself, the report has email (contained in 70% of breaches) and passwords (65%) at the top of the pile. (Forbes)

Data security is essential, as cyber-attacks, malware and viruses across the globe have become more prevalent. People are unknowingly hacked and therefore compromised, leading to data leaks, identity theft and reputational damage. A good Cyber Security expert will identify the cyber assets most critical to you, evaluating existing and potential gaps in your infrastructure with advice on implementing recommendations.

We have identified five key steps below to help you strengthen your IT infrastructure.

1. Identify the threats:

Basic threats like unauthorised access to your computer should be tackled immediately before you suffer any loss of information. Hackers are always looking for opportunities to invade privacy and steal data that is of crucial importance, so it’s better to take the necessary precautions to protect your company’s valuable information.

2. Use two-factor authentication

Encourage all employees to use two-factor authentication as it increases security by adding an additional layer of protection when accessing accounts. The double authentication allows you to protect your data and discourages hackers from attacking. Passwords are often overlooked too: they should be: long, include capitals, numbers and symbols at the very minimum.

3. Protect important data

Always protect the most sensitive information within your organisation. Data which is vulnerable and can be targeted by hackers should be protected first. Keep a check on how this crucial data storage is being accessed by staff using gap analysis to provide a summary of findings.

4. Carry out risk assessments

Conduct cyber security risk assessments on a regular basis in order to mitigate the risks. Home, office, the IoT, Wi-Fi and all network-enabled devices including physical access controls and camera systems should be assessed using gap analysis to provide a summary of findings.

5. In depth knowledge about risk factors

Conduct research regarding all possible threats that might harm your corporations. Plan systematic company audits in order to keep the business clean from viruses and malware.

Build a detailed overview and communications plan for the rules that all employees need to follow to ensure the safety of the business. When in doubt, seek professional assistance.

Priavo offers a remote managed cyber service, delivered from our MoD approved network security ops centre. The aim is to strengthen IT infrastructure, systems, process and procedures across your business and private life.

Guest post by Priavo Security | www.priavosecurity.com