5 signs you might be vulnerable to a cyber attack
With cyber-attacks on the rise, it is becoming increasingly important to be vigilant and protect your business as best you can.
However, it can be hard to know if you are doing enough, or where your weaknesses may be. Just having a cybersecurity solution in place is not enough.
These are 5 areas where your business could be exposed, and how to fix it:
1. Outdated software and no mobile device protection
If you have any software updates pending, then you risk a security breach. This could be on a system admin level, or for individual laptops/PCs. Often software updates are to upgrade your system, including security patching. If these updates are being ignored, then you are leaving your business exposed.
Added to this, with most of the workforce now using mobile devices regularly, they are a prime target for cyber criminals. Ensure that all mobile devices are also covered with security software, as without it, this could be a way for the hackers to get access to your central systems.
2. No employee training
One of the biggest weaknesses in a company’s cyber security is their staff. If you provide no training on the dangers of cyber breaches and how to be vigilant at work, then you are leaving your front door wide open.
One of the most common ways of duping unsuspecting employees is through phishing emails. These are emails that are made to look like they are from someone within your organisation or another company, that ‘fish’ for your personal details like your username and password. While most emails will get stopped by antispam providers, there will always be a few more sophisticated ones that get through.
Make sure your team are trained on how to spot a suspicious email, or to query it with your IT team if they are unsure. You can also run phishing exercises internally where fake emails are sent out to see who clicks on them. Make your training fun and engaging and ensure that all senior stakeholders take it seriously to get buy in from their teams.
3. Weak password policies
It’s surprising how many businesses still allow simple passwords on company systems or have staff using passwords like ‘password123’. These are extremely simple to guess and will give hackers easy access to your systems. Ensure that your company has a password policy of at least 8 characters, with non-alphanumeric characters included and made up of multiple words that aren’t related. This makes it harder for cyber criminals to predict.
It's also a good idea to implement multi-factor authentication as an added security level. This means that there are at least two security checks before you can access an application. Typically, this comes in the form of entering your username/password, plus a 6-digit number that gets sent to an email address or mobile phone that only the user can access.
4. Lack of incident response plan
What would you do if your company got hit by a cyber attack tomorrow? With no plan in place, you are risking massive downtime of your services, loss of earnings and huge reputational damage. Some companies never recover and must shut up shop permanently.
You need to plan how you would recover your data and business if the unthinkable happened. Make sure that you have your data backed up and know how it will be recovered. Think about how you could continue running your business while the recovery was taking place. Ensure that all senior stakeholders and key teams are bought into the plan and know their role. Consider any outside parties that would need to be notified such as your legal team, insurance and the regulator.
Most importantly, make sure that once your plan is written, that it is tested, and regularly. The companies that are the most prepared and have run through test scenarios are the most likely to recover quickly from a cyber-attack.
5. No regular penetration testing
If you are not testing your systems regularly for security gaps, then you are missing a trick. Penetration tests will scan for areas of weakness across your applications, networks and hardware. Once exposed, you can look to strengthen your defenses in that area. With attacks becoming more sophisticated with the likes of AI, it is important to regularly test your business to make sure its defenses are standing up to the latest methods hackers are using.
If any of the above security vulnerabilities ring true for your business, then it is important to address them urgently. This will help to significantly lower the impact of a cyber-attack on your business. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are victims of cybercrime, you need to think of it as not if, but when.
Navos can assist with all areas of cybersecurity, from backup and recovery products to incident response planning and penetration testing. If you would like some support to make sure your business is protected, then contact us today for a confidential chat.
