Cybersecurity has been an ongoing concern since the invention of the internet. Unfortunately, just like there are in the real world, there are numerous criminals online as well, and they are always looking for new ways to steal identities, scam people out of their money, hack systems and infect computers with malware.
Following a year where more people than ever before have been literally forced to work online due to the COVID crisis, the need for cybersecurity in 2021 is at an all-time high.
Cybersecurity is not an optional extra when it comes to IT systems and accessing the internet. Are you and your business at risk in 2021? Is your IT system safe and secure?
Here are some tips to stay protected through 2021 and beyond.
Train Your Staff To Be Cyber-Safe
You can implement all the security measures in the world when it comes to your business IT system, but if your staff aren’t diligent about cybersecurity and best practices, this is a major liability and vulnerability.
All employees need to be trained in how to stay safe while working online. This training could be conducted by management, or you might want to call in the help of a professional service that offers both cyber security training and solutions for small business and large operations.
Only when your staff are fully aware of the potential risks out there and how to avoid them, can you be truly sure that you have the best chance of protecting your business IT systems. When a business has multiple employees, each individual is a potential vulnerability to a cyber-attack unless they are aware of the risks.
Email Filtering
Ideally, the filtering of spam email will be in place and should occur outside your firewall to truly prevent suspicious emails from being opened. This also reduces the load and traffic on your internet connection. When configuring your firewall, you can set it up so that only email from trusted sources (that you select) can get through.
Web Filtering
Have your IT professional set up web filtering so employees cannot gain access to certain websites while using the business computer system. Not only does this help to prevent time-wasting, it also ensures they are not accessing websites that contain known vulnerabilities such as malware and dodgy pop-ups.
Control Access To Your Network
You need to set up your business network so that only authorized devices can gain access to it. If you are allowing guest access to your network via wireless devices, this access should be restricted to the internet only and not allow guests to gain access to your internal network resources, such as sensitive business data and files.
The more you control who can access your network and what devices are allowed, the more control you’ll have over your cybersecurity.
Antivirus Software and Updates
All IT systems should be protected by top-quality antivirus software. However, this software is only effective if you allow the software to update automatically with the latest security patches. New viruses and malware are being created virtually on a daily basis, so your antivirus software needs to regularly update to protect your network from the latest known security threats.
Antivirus software is essential in the ongoing fight against cybercrime.
Your OS and Software Needs To Be Updated When Required
No matter what operating system you use, when new security updates are available, these need to be downloaded and installed to help protect your IT system. Updates should ideally be set to automatic so your system is as secure as possible.
The same goes for the software programs your business uses, whether it be Microsoft Office or other software. These programs can be vulnerable to hackers and malware as well and are often exploited because people pay less attention to updates for software and apps, as compared to updates for their operating system or antivirus software.
There needs to be a policy and plan in place to ensure everything remains constantly updated with the latest security patches.
IT Solutions Cairns and Townsville
If you are looking for cyber security solutions and IT disaster recovery solutions in Cairns and Townsville, then look no further than the premier team at Future IT Services. We are your local IT specialists and can help you out with all your computer and IT requirements.