The cybersecurity landscape is ever-changing. Both hackers and cybersecurity experts are actively working on getting one up to another. This results in an increased number of security solutions and cyber attacks.

But sometimes, even the best security software isn’t capable of stopping a cyber attack. Furthermore, cyber security insurance will do you no good when your company is going through a ransomware attack. So how can organizations defend themselves from the growing number of cyber-attacks?

Cybersecurity experts recommend implementing a series of “best practices” to stop emerging cyber threats. A recently conducted Cyber Security Report from a leading cybersecurity company outlined what organizations can do to protect themselves.

Let’s see what the report shows.

Train Employees On the Basics of Cybersecurity

Employee training ranks the highest on the list of cybersecurity best practices. That’s because most cyberattacks are preventable. In addition, hackers are actively looking for easy targets with weak passwords or no authentication on APIs.

As one would imagine, eliminating these risks is the best way to prevent a cyber attack. Therefore, here are several best practices regarding employee information and training on cybersecurity:

• Train employees on setting safe and secure passwords. Encourage creating a separate password for G-Suite or Microsoft 365 tenant accounts. In addition, encourage using a password manager app for keeping passwords safe and secure.
• Train employees on ways to avoid malware, viruses, ransomware attacks, and phishing attacks. Most of these attacks come by email, and more specifically, email attachments and links. Employees can be trained to spot spoofed websites, spam and phishing emails, and ransomware.
• Train employees on the dangers of malware. In addition, train employees on staying safe on the internet. Employees become more aware when understanding the issue at hand.

Establish Clear Security Policies

Every organization must implement protocols and policies in case of a cyber attack. These policies and protocols are essential for protecting business data and preventing theft from cybercriminals.

Unfortunately, doing this is a complicated matter. Cybersecurity experts can come in and create guidelines for resolving data protection issues. These guidelines can be the difference between getting hacked or staying safe. Therefore, here are several security policies companies can implement to protect themselves:

• Prevent access to official devices from unauthorized actors. To do that, implement a multi-factor authentication policy across the organization. With multi-factor authentication, hackers will have a nightmare accessing official devices.
• Reset lost or misplaced devices. Employees will use numerous devices to perform their jobs, such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Chances are, some of these devices might get lost or misplaced at one point. If that happens, ensure devices are wiped clean of company data. Doing this prevents data breaches and sensitive data theft. In addition, you take away crucial access points to company software and the greater business network.
• Patch software regularly. Hackers will often try to exploit security holes in your software. Therefore, ensure patches are implemented regularly across the organization. Since patches are meant to plug in these holes, it can be the difference between retaining sensitive business information and losing it for good.

Encryption Across the Organization

Data encryption is an excellent cybersecurity tool. Encryption adds another layer of defense to your already sound cybersecurity strategy. But how do you use encryption to provide employees with a secure online environment?

Encryption comes in many forms. One that every organization must implement is email encryption. The way email encryption works is simple. Every employee gets an encryption and decryption key. Employees can encrypt emails using the encryption key and decrypt incoming emails from coworkers using the decryption key.

Encryption will be your best chance to prevent unauthorized access and prying eyes. Even if a hacker manages to access your email network, they would still need the decryption key to view the contents of emails. This makes sending emails containing sensitive information much safer than before.

Backup Data

Data backups are essential cybersecurity best practices. In today’s time, data loss presents an existential threat for organizations, especially those handling customer information. The issue is so alarming that you might end up in court.

Therefore, protecting data becomes a number one priority. But anyone can get hacked anytime, despite the numerous security solutions at hand. However, what can make the difference is if you still have your data after the cyber threat.

For that, you need to implement a data backup strategy involving multiple backup methods. Backing up crucial data from employee email mailboxes, applications, and services is complex. But not if you’re using third-party backup software.

Fortunately, third-party backup solutions can be fully integrated into your cloud environment. With a backup solution in place, you can rest assured knowing your data is copied somewhere on the cloud and not locally. Backing up data locally is asking for trouble, as all it takes is for hardware malfunction to spark the end.

Have A Strategy In Place

The best way to protect your organization is to plan. These things must be planned, whether looking to secure mailboxes or implement a patching system for crucial software. Therefore, you must implement a cybersecurity strategy.

Here are several practical cybersecurity strategies organizations can implement for total protection:

• Employee training;
• Protect devices from malware by installing antivirus software;
• Firewall security for internet connection;
• Keep backups of crucial information;

As you can see, we have already discussed some of these strategies. Regardless, data safety should be your number one priority, especially during these turbulent times as the cybersecurity landscape goes far beyond personal gains.

Nowadays, cybercrime has evolved from rag-tag hacker teams to state-sponsored actors. Given the numerous hacker activity reports from state-backed cybercriminals originating in Russia, China, and North Korea, cybersecurity has never been more important.

So, avoid your data getting into the hands of the wrong people and risk the end of your business. Instead, secure your organization by implementing a sound cybersecurity strategy in place.