Tools and Tactics for Securing Your Company’s System

Cyber attacks have become shockingly common these days. Businesses are a frequent target of hackers who want to steal data and wreak havoc in general. All businesses, regardless of whether one sells digital products, must take the necessary precautions to secure company systems from cyber attacks. Failing to do so could result in devastating consequences, as demonstrated by high-profile hacks like the Sony Motion Pictures attack. Here is a list of techniques and tools you can use to secure your company’s internal system:

Develop a Strong Password Policy

First step towards a more secure company system is a very strong password policy. Passwords are usually what hackers go to first. Some hackers spend months trying to just guess a password. Some do even succeed, like in the case of the notorious hacker Guccifer. So, it’s very important to have a company password policy where employees use long passwords that are combinations of numbers, characters and letters. Use a random password generator, like Random.org, to issue new passwords. All passwords must be really hard to guess and should be replaced at least every 3 months.

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Hire a Hacker

Hacking is bad, but there’s an exception to the rule. Ethical “white hat” hackers, unlike their “black hat” malicious counterparts, help companies identify and patch up potential security vulnerabilities. Ethical hacking Australia is a thriving industry with many certified professionals that companies can trust. Not all companies may be able to afford an ethical hacker. But ones that do, must hire an ethical hacker at least once a year to patch up the holes that black hat hackers can exploit.

Buy Business Grade Antivirus Software

It may sound like a no-brainer, but a surprising number of companies do not use adequate antivirus software. Your company requires business-grade antivirus programs. Do not buy the products intended for average consumers. They may lack certain features that bigger businesses desperately need. Do invest in an antivirus program, as they can be a first-line attack against malicious software and hackers.

Secure Wi-Fi

Do not use public or semi-private Wi-Fi in the office, ever. These networks are unsecured and data sent over them is unencrypted. Use a private and highly secure company Wi-Fi network for office use. If company computers or smartphones are ever taken off the office premises, they should never access public Wi-Fi without proper security measures. For example, install VPN software on all company handheld devices so data is secure even when an employee accesses Wi-Fi from an outside network.

Ban Outside Digital Storage Devices

Don’t let employees bring their personal USB sticks or CDs to the office. Ban all such devices, as they are highly susceptible malicious software. If an employee has an infected computer back home, the infection could spread to the office network if the employee uses the same USB stick with both computers. These devices can also be used to take data out of the premises so simply banning them altogether is the best choice.

Monitor Internet Use

Employees can unknowingly download a malicious program into the system when browsing the Internet. So, do try to monitor the Internet and know which sites employees visit. Install filters so that employees do not visit any harmful sites.

Adopting at least one or two of the above suggestions will improve the security of your company’s existing system quite dramatically.