The best way to deal with a cyber attack is to not allow it to happen in the first place. Although there is no magical cure for preventing your personal computer or business from being hacked, there are definitely preventative measures you can take to lower the chances that you’ll be targeted with a successful cyber attack in the future. Here are four different ways you can protect your business from hackers and other types of cyber threats.
Protective Software
There are a variety of different types of software you can use to protect your business from cyber threats. Most people have heard of anti-virus software, which will monitor your computer from various forms of malware that could have been placed on your network by a nefarious actor, but there is also software that predicts threats before they turn into actual attacks. For example, the software will tell you if one of your employees is doing something strange while logged into one of their company accounts.
This type of software is vital to the prevention of cyber threats because it can basically act as an autonomous security guard watching over the digital properties owned by your business.
Choosing the Right Passwords
Choosing the right passwords for your accounts will help out tremendously when it comes to preventing cyber attacks. Whenever possible, you should use a password generator to create your passwords because this will help ensure they are truly random and not easily guessable.
If you’re intimidated by the thought of remembering a number of different long, random passwords, then use a password manager. The password manager will allow you to have a different complex password for every account, and you’ll only need to remember one master password. The use of a password manager should basically mandatory for your business because using the same password for multiple accounts is a huge security flaw.
Two-Factor Authentication
In addition to strong passwords, you also need to have multiple points of failure for account access. Two-factor authentication will protect your accounts even in a situation where someone is able to figure out your password because it will also require the hacker to have access to your phone. With two-factor authentication, a number is generated on your phone, and you must then type that number into a text field to log in to your account.
For extra security, you can even purchase offline devices to act as your source of two-factor authenticity.
Don’t Click Random Links
This final tip is likely the hardest one to follow, but you and everyone else who works at your business should never click suspicious links on any computer or phone. Hackers usually get into company’s networks by tricking someone into clicking on a link that instantly downloads malware on the target device, which can then spread throughout the entire network.
These sorts of links may even come from a contact you know and trust in a situation where that other individual has already been hacked.
By following the four key security tips outlined in this post, you will be much more prepared for a potential situation where someone decides to conduct a cyber attack on your business.