Cyber attacks against businesses are on the rise. 2020 saw a spike in cyber attack incidents, which has continued into 2021. This trend is likely to continue in the future. 

The intention of cyber attacks is often to access sensitive data. Data may be infected with a virus and a ransom payment may be demanded (known as ransomware). In other cases, cybercriminals may sell your sensitive data on the dark web or use it to break into accounts such as bank accounts, email accounts and social media accounts.

A data breach can often have a destructive impact on your business. You may have to pay huge amounts of money to recover from the cyber attack as well as paying compensation to customers who may have had data stolen. It could also have a negative impact on your reputation, affecting your ability to generate future business. 

There are many ways in which you can protect your data and company from cyber attacks. Below are just some of the best ways to protect your data.

Firewalls

Firewalls are devices or applications that help to monitor incoming and outgoing network traffic. They can be used to prevent unauthorized access to your company network – which could include potential hackers.

By installing the right firewall, you can have full control over exactly who can access your network. This could help to prevent cyberattacks.

Train Your Employees

Employees should be trained on how to protect against a cyberattack. Training employees on how to detect phishing is very important – 75% of organizations around the world experienced some form of phishing attack in 2020. Knowing how to react to a ransomware attack is also important as such cyber attacks are also on the rise. 

Make sure that you take your employees through some kind of cybersecurity training. This could include conducting cyber attack drills and showing employees how to spot signs of phishing in emails. 

Protect Your Passwords

Many cybercriminals gain access to data by stealing passwords. Passwords can be gained through various means – cybercriminals may use phishing tactics, they may use keylogging malware or they may simply attempt a brute force password attack. 

Try to always use strong passwords – this post offers a few examples of how to set a strong password. Change your passwords regularly in case the wrong types of people get hold of them. Make sure that password lists are kept safe and never share passwords with people you don’t completely trust. 

Hire a Cybersecurity Specialist

The best way to protect your data and company from cyberattacks is to hire a cybersecurity expert to help you. A cybersecurity expert will be able to recommend the best firewalls to use. They’ll also be able to offer training tips for employees. On top of this, they can help you to protect your passwords.

When you choose to work with a managed IT service, you get to work with a team of cybersecurity experts. Consider hiring a managed IT service today in order to protect your data and company.