Did you know that October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM)? NCSAM was created as a collaborative effort by the government and IT industry to bring awareness to the importance of taking proactive steps to protect yourself online. This goes for both home and the workplace. In honor of NCSAM, let’s talk about cyberattacks and how to keep your company from becoming the victim of a data breach.

Protecting Your Business From Cyberattacks

Companies are often the target of cyberattacks committed by cybercriminals in an attempt to gain personal or sensitive information. Many business owners who are in charge of smaller sized companies mistakenly think cybercriminals only focus on the bigger entities. 

However, small to medium-sized companies are often at even greater risk than their bigger counterparts. That’s why it’s important to review your cybersecurity measures, regardless of the size of your organization, to ensure your business isn’t vulnerable to an attack. 

Here are a few steps you can take to improve your business’s cybersecurity.

Secure Your Hardware

The first mistake many business owners make when addressing cybersecurity is focusing solely on the software side of things. They often end up overlooking the importance of securing the hardware itself. Many data breaches occur because of stolen equipment, so your cybersecurity strategy should start off with safeguarding company hardware.

Use Robust Passwords

Creating strong passwords can be a hassle, but it’s necessary for the protection of the various accounts you work with throughout the day. Too often, employees rely on weak or reused passwords because they’re easy to remember. However, weak or reused passwords are easy for hackers to crack. A good solution to this would be to invest in a password management tool. These tools take the hassle out of password creation by creating strong passwords for you and storing them.  

Perform Regular Updates

Your operating system (OS) works hard to fend off would-be attacks, but the effectiveness of that software decreases over time. This is because cyberattacks are a constantly evolving threat. That’s why companies such as Windows and Apple push out new updates for their OSs.  Keeping your OS updated with the latest security patches is a crucial step in staying secure.

Speak With an Expert

If the pipes in your building sprung a serious leak, you wouldn’t try to fix them yourself, would you? No, you would likely hire an expert to deal with the problem because they have the knowledge to fix it right the first time. The same thought process should be used for your cybersecurity. 

Managed IT providers like PCR Business Systems specialize in cybersecurity solutions and can provide the advice you need to enhance your protection. In addition to consultation, these providers can offer comprehensive services specifically geared toward proactively fighting against security breaches.

Educate Your Staff

You could have the best cybersecurity protection on Earth, but that won’t mean a thing if your employees are unknowingly creating a pathway for malware to invade your system. Most cyberattacks are socially engineered to trick people into inviting malware into your network. So while your staff may not be trying to compromise your network, their lack of knowledge could cause problems down the road. That’s why employees are often considered the biggest vulnerability to cybersecurity efforts. Properly educating your team on how to stay secure will dramatically improve your overall security.  

Stay Secure With PCR Business Systems

At PCR Business Systems, we’re dedicated to the protection of your company’s sensitive information. Our highly trained team of experts will work with you to build a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. We’ll also provide security solutions so you can rest easy knowing your network is safe. For more tips on how to stay protected from cyberattacks or to learn about what PCR Business Systems can do to keep your important data secure, contact us today!