How Can I Protect My Business From Cyber Attacks?
Today’s employees are connected to the internet all day every day. They’re communicating and collaborating with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders, sharing confidential information, and browsing multiple websites at once. Hacking and data breaches are on the rise. Therefore, all businesses must develop a plan that will offer the highest level of protection against any potential threats. According to recent reports, businesses have seen an 80 percent increase in cyber attacks. For today’s businesses, falling victim to a cyber attack is no longer a question of ”if” but “when.”
Today’s data threats will not discriminate. Businesses in every industry, regardless of size, are susceptible to a cyber attack. However, SMBs (small to medium-sized businesses) are not always prepared to properly handle a security threat compared to their larger counterparts. The reasons why businesses are not always prepared will vary. However, it often comes down to the fact that some businesses do not have the proper resources or guidance when it comes to protection against cyber attacks.
Every year we receive cases from businesses experiencing one or more forms of cyber attacks. The majority of the cyber attacks are because of insufficient and/or outdated security equipment and settings. As we help clients through the impact of experiencing a cyber attack, we are always asked how it could have been prevented. In hopes of helping other businesses in the Washington, DC metro area, we wanted to provide you with some crucial information that can help protect your business against cyber attacks.
Cybersecurity Assessments
You will not be able to build an adequate defense against cyber attacks if you do not know where you currently stand. Regular cybersecurity assessments can be a vital piece to your business’s cybersecurity strategy. Assessments highlight the strengths you can build on and the weaknesses you can improve on. When you start with an assessment, you will obtain a clear idea of what you need to do to secure your environment.
An effective assessment can ultimately lead to a greater ability to prioritize your resources and avoid losing money and time on ineffective efforts. Once you have a firm grip on a gap analysis, you will be able to take your cybersecurity assessment to a higher level by implementing a risk management strategy. After performing an assessment, you will be able to set the right priorities and eventually analyze any items you may consider postponing.
Training & Education
Your business will only be as strong as your least informed employee. Cybercriminals are sharp when it comes to finding access to your systems and networks. A point of entry into your business’s systems can be through an unknowing employee who clicks on a phishing link or has a weak password. It is important to make sure your employees are aware of all the ways cybercriminals can gain access to critical information.
Consider strong and effective policies that are aligned with best practices regarding cybersecurity. After the policies have been developed and implemented, your employees will need to have a clear understanding of the policies and what is expected of them. Encourage employees to not only watch out for themselves but for their colleagues as well. Well-versed employees are the extension of the security team that your business needs.
Perform Software/Hardware Updates
Use the latest available versions of your software and hardware. Out-of-date software and hardware are more prone to zero-day attacks. In a zero-day attack, hackers steal data, penetrate networks, and perform additional malicious actions that severely damage businesses.
Most anti-virus software performs updates to ensure the latest version is used. However, not every software has this ability. Perform routine check-ups on your major hardware and software on a consistent basis. Consider implementing a vulnerability management strategy that will perform checks for any vulnerabilities. Your vulnerability management strategy can also be used to ensure unpatched software and systems receive the patches before a zero-day attack occurs.
How Orion Networks Can Help Protect Your Business from Cyber Attacks
Hackers and cybercriminals will break into any network for a variety of reasons, but the main motivations are:
- Stealing sensitive information
- Ransomware attacks
- Denial-of-Service attacks and other disruption attacks
- Hacktivism (politically or socially motivated attacks)
Unfortunately, many businesses do not have the resources that are needed to effectively combat the above attacks. This is where Orion Networks comes in. We provide a wide range of Tech Support. Comprehensive and advanced cybersecurity solutions protect your business from cyber attacks. At Orion Networks, we develop solutions for businesses of all sizes in the Washington, DC metro area.
Our in-house team of experts will protect every ounce of data you have, ensure you remain compliant, and give you the confidence you need to move forward with your business operations.
The Benefits of Protection from Orion Networks
We provide a proactive approach to IT with our comprehensive services. With an Tech Support model that we provide, your business can benefit from the following:
- Fast Response Times
- Accessible Experts
- Security and Network Assessments
- 24/7 Monitoring
- Security Updates and Patches
- Remote IT Capabilities
- Remediation
Orion Networks offers the premier cybersecurity protection in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Our services help you manage your entire business, not just your systems and network. Do you need malware protection, patches installed, firewalls installed, etc. on your networks? Do you need an IT audit? We offer IT consulting, Tech Support, support for new offices, and more.
Every business does its best to protect itself. But, you cannot eliminate the possibility of a cyber attack on your business. IT audits and inspections save you time and money. What’s more, they can also prevent even one cyber attack on your business. Contact us today to determine how we can help you protect your business from cyber attacks. Feel free to call us at 1-800-311-5788 or use our online form to get your free instant quote for Tech Support. Your first 30 days will be free.
