10 Ways To Tighten Up Your Security Game
Last week, Louisville Geek was asked to speak at a Business Development Luncheon, hosted by Republic Bank. The topic of our presentation was cybersecurity, so we decided to come up with 10 things you can do in 10 days to better protect yourself from cybercrime. The following is a rundown of what we presented.
1. Multifactor everything.
While this task can be tedious at times, it is absolutely worth the hassle. We encourage you to MFA the obvious (email and bank accounts) as well as social media. On each website or application, this can typically be found by looking under Settings>Security.
2. Say “Yes” to Updates
Oftentimes, updates our patching security flaws that have been exposed. We encourage setting automatic updates when possible. This applies to PC’s, tablets, mobile phones, and anything else connected to the internet, such as IoT devices. The hackers responsible for the 2013 Target data breach that tapped into 110 million customer accounts were able to attain access through the HVAC contractor.
3. Be Smart with Passwords
When it comes to best practices for password usage, there are a lot of varying opinions out there. We typically suggest the following to our clients.
- Don’t use the same password for multiple sites.
- No birthday’s, pets or nicknames. These are easy to find, especially if you are active on social media.
- Use a password manager such as LastPass.
4. Increase your Awareness
Stay aware of new threats and attacks. Check yourself on https://haveibeenpwned.com/, follow cyber security experts on social media or Google Alerts. Simply reading or watching the news on a regular basis will help keep you in the loop. And remember, if it looks suspicious, it probably is.
5. Uninstall programs and apps that you don’t consistently use
Software downloaded on your devices just adds to your risk. Programs such as Flash and Java aren’t used by reputable websites any longer. By uninstalling programs that you don’t use on a regular basis, you’re helping to reduce your attack surface.
6. Backup Regularly 3-2-1 rule
At Louisville Geek, we preach the 3-2-1 rule. Have 3 copies of your data on 2 different media platforms and 1 copy of your data offsite. And, by all means, make sure that you are verifying your backups!
7. Become a “Standard” User
To help prevent hackers from taking over your computer, we recommend confirming or changing your user account type to standard. To do so, go to your Control Panel, create a new user as a local account, change that user’s account type to be a local admin and change your account type to standard. Mac users may also create standard users.
8. Use Common Sense
This may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised. Don’t place passwords on sticky notes. Never plug in random USBs into your PC (businesses have the ability to change this setting to disallow), and always verbally verify high-risk transactions.
9. Use Antivirus
Again, it sounds obvious but always be sure that you’re using Antivirus at home and work. We also recommend deploying a next gen AV/EDR system.
10. Ensure your business is covered by Cyber Insurance
In 2018, 58% of cyber-attack victims were small businesses. Data breaches are extremely costly, so having a cyber insurance policy is an affordable form of risk management. Because these policies can be confusing to average users, we encourage you to work with your technology provider when applying for cyber insurance.
START TAKING YOUR BUSINESS SECURITY SERIOUSLY!
With the significant increase in cyber attacks towards small, medium and enterprise businesses it’s time to fight back. Contact our team today and discuss what you need to be doing for your business to keep your digital assets secure!
