Cyber Security Services Keep Your Data Safe
When you see those words “cyber security”, what images come into your mind? Do you think of a virus popping up on the computer screen? What about an ominous hooded figure sitting in a dark room, hunched over a computer screen? Perhaps an iconic mask from a popular TV show or movie? You are not wrong if you thought about one or more of those things. However, there is so much more to cyber security than what we see in the media.
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What is Cyber Security?
Cyber security is a fast-growing field that touches almost every industry. It is also one of the most misunderstood fields in technology, because of the large scope it encompasses.
Cyber security is the practice of protecting your information in our modern digital world. This includes keeping your data from being stolen or accessed by anyone who does not have permission. It involves protecting computers, networks, and information from unauthorized access and malicious use. Good cyber security practices also protect the integrity of data residing on your systems.
Why is cyber security critical for business?
No matter what kind of business you run, there are always risks involved when it comes to protecting sensitive information. Without strong cyber security practices in place, those risks could become real-world problems very quickly!
Cyber security is crucial to any business that deals with sensitive information, such as intellectual property or confidential client data. It is not just about keeping hackers out of your system—it is also about ensuring that if a hacker got in, they could not cause any damage or steal any valuable information before you stopped them.
Strong cyber security can mean the difference between success and failure! Cyber security is about business continuity! Cyber security is about keeping your organization in operation and doing what needs to be done in this uncertain, and, at times, unsafe digital world.
The NIST Framework
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a cyber security framework to help organizations better protect themselves from cyber attacks.
- Identify. Have systems in place that can identify dangers to your organization and take action before they become a problem. This includes assessing your organization’s current posture against cyber security threats.
- Protect. Implement specific controls over how your information is managed to prevent unauthorized access or modification of that data. These controls include cyber security tools and policies to keep your systems safe.
- Detect. This is about detecting vulnerabilities in your systems so that you can fix them before they become a problem.
- Respond. The response is the set of actions taken after cyber security threats and attacks have been detected.
- Recover. Finally, recovery is getting back on track after the damage has been done.
5 Principles of Information Assurance
Information Assurance (IA) is another way you can manage information-related risks and the steps applied to safeguard your information systems. The Information Assurance framework is applied in various ways, but it ultimately depends on the sensitivity of the data and systems that are in place within your organization. It is central to conducting safe and secure operations in a global environment. Asking the following questions can help see how you are applying these principles correctly:
- Confidentiality. Are those without the proper clearance able to access sensitive information? This includes the anonymous person on the internet, malicious or otherwise, as well as your employees (e.g., the payroll system should be shielded from non-HR perusal). These are questions of confidentiality.
- Integrity. Can you trust the data in your system? Are the account numbers and payments in your database correct? Is that email from management legitimate, or could it have been forged or altered by a third party? These are questions of integrity.
- Availability. If a hard disk becomes corrupted on a workstation or a server, or all of your customer information was encrypted by a bad actor, could you lose sensitive data? How much time and money would that cost you? If your physical place of business was lost to a natural disaster, would your business be able to continue? These are questions of availability.
- Authenticity. Authenticity goes hand-in-hand with confidentiality. When someone logs into your system, are they who they say they are? Or is it possible that one of your employees fell victim to a phishing attack? Could one of your remote employees have malware on their system that is now masquerading as them?
- Non-Repudiation. Non-Repudiation is closely tied to integrity. If an employee changed a file in the system or sent an email, non-repudiation would ensure they could not deny doing so. Using system accounting measures, content management, and digital signatures, non-repudiation in essence works to keep people honest.
Cyber Security Threats
Cyber security threats are a major concern for businesses today. It is crucial to be aware of the dangers your company faces so that you can take steps to prevent them from happening. To be effective, cyber security must guard against both physical and digital dangers. Both types can be prevented by using the appropriate tools and practices for the job.
Data Breaches
If an attacker gained access to your systems without permission, they could steal your data, corrupt it, or destroy it altogether. Data breaches are a prevalent cyber security threat, with an estimated number of almost 500 million records stolen worldwide in 2022. According to IBM, in 2022, the average data breach cost businesses $9.44 million in the United States alone! Attackers break into systems or networks and steal things like credit card numbers, social security numbers, and other sensitive information.
Malware
Malware, such as viruses, ransomware, and trojans, is any software designed to hide from a user’s system. Oftentimes, users don’t know that they are being infected until it is too late. Malware can also be used as part of larger attacks against your systems or as a way to steal information from them. Malware can infect computers through email attachments, outdated software, or websites that contain malicious code.
Phishing Attacks
Phishing is when an attacker tries to trick you into sharing sensitive information about yourself or your company by sending messages that look legitimate but are anything but! The danger of phishing is that it can lead to identity theft if you give away too much personal information online.
The most common way phishing attacks are carried out is by sending fake emails or text messages that look like they come from your bank, credit card company, email provider, or other businesses you deal with. These messages can contain links to websites asking you to enter your personal information to open an account or make a purchase. This information can then be used to steal your identity or breach your accounts.
Cyber Security Tools
With cyber security threats on the rise, it is imperative to keep your company protected. They can be prevented by using the appropriate tools and practices. Cyber security tools encompass everything from basic protections to more advanced technologies that can prevent malware from getting inside your system in the first place.
Antivirus Software
Antivirus software helps protect your computer from viruses, spyware, and other types of malware that can damage or infect your computer. They identify known viruses and remove them from your computer before they can infect it. The software also periodically checks for new signatures of known viruses and other malware that might try to infiltrate your system. The software can also help prevent attacks by scanning for suspicious files before they are downloaded to your computer.
Next-Gen Antivirus Software
Next-gen antivirus software is an advanced approach to cyber security protection. It is designed to work hand-in-hand with traditional antivirus software solutions, but takes a more proactive approach to protect your data. Next-gen antivirus software uses artificial intelligence to analyze the behavior of malware and defend against future threats that have not been categorized by security vendors.
Firewalls
A firewall protects your network from malicious activity, such as viruses and malware. It monitors what kind of information is sent over the internet and determines whether it should be allowed onto your network. If it finds something suspicious, it will block or restrict access to the information in question by blocking it entirely or allowing only certain users access.
Cyber Security Practices Keep You Safe
Whether you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or just a mom with a laptop, you must take precautions to keep your information secure. That is why it is vital to have a comprehensive cyber security strategy in place. Try following these tips to help keep you and your business safe.
Keep your Software Up-To-Date
Software vendors are always making changes to their operating systems, internet browsers, and antivirus software. These often fix bugs and other security vulnerabilities. Take advantage of these to protect yourself against cyber attacks. Keeping your software current will help protect against new dangers as soon as they appear.Use Strong Passwords For All Your Online Accounts
If possible, every online account should have a password that is unique, not easy to guess, and long. That way, there are no patterns that are easy for hackers to recognize if they have cracked one of your passwords that you commonly use. An easy way to accomplish this may be to use a “base password”, of 8 to 12 characters and then append characters to the beginning or end to create variations of your password for each site. You should not write down your password, whether on that post-it note stuck to your laptop or stored electronically.
Change Your Passwords Periodically
Malwarebytes, one of our cyber security partners, recommends changing your password, “every couple of months”. Password managers can help you create and keep track of all of your new passwords.
Use 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) Or Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security against hackers who might try to get into your account. It is also one of the best ways to check that only authorized people can access your account or sensitive information on your computer.
Be Careful While Doing Business Online
Do not click on any links in suspicious emails or text messages. Instead, report those messages as spam or junk mail. You should never provide any personal information over email or text messages unless you can verify who is sending them. If you receive an unexpected email or text message asking for personal information, it may be phishing!
Before entering your credit card information check that the business you’re dealing with has an SSL certificate. Look for a lock icon in the address bar when to make sure they are a trusted domain.
Back Up Your Data Regularly
Regular data backups are like insurance policies for your business. In addition to keeping your information safe from cyber threats, they also help keep your business running smoothly by allowing you to restore files when something goes wrong with the system. It is also critical to test your backup system regularly and ensure that they do not fail at the worst possible moment.Benefit from netEffx’s Cybersecurity Expertise
At netEffx, specializing in cyber security means that we specialize in business continuity. We have the tools, technicians, and expertise to ensure that you have the tools to keep your data as safe as possible. If the worst was to happen, we can help you recover, so you can keep moving forward. As always, we make it easy. Whatever your digital security needs are, netEffx is here for you. Contact us today for a free and quick consultation!