In the previous article we explored some of the methods that modern day cyber criminals are using to threaten and cause havoc on your systems. In the following article we will delve into the various technical measures that you can implement in your cyber security landscape to give you the best chance of surviving a sophisticated attack.
The Technical Measures
Firewalls
Firewalls filter traffic passing across a network boundary. The IT professional that manages your account will manage ‘rules’ determining what can and can’t cross that boundary, judged on what factors pose the most risk. In layman’s terms, there is an invisible gate keeper that – regardless of whether you are aware or not – is constantly monitoring the edge of your system for malicious intent.
Multi factor authentication
Multi factor authentication is an identification tool, which confirms that whoever is trying to access your system is who they say they are. This is done by requesting authentication via another device (via text message or email) to ensure identification. Multi factor authentication cannot be used as your main security measure, but it is essential to bolster your already capable existing defences.
Secure passwords
Passwords are arguably the most important of all security measures. We all already use passwords on the various accounts we have – which is why it is particularly perplexing as to why so many don’t use passwords as effectively as possible. The best passwords consist of a random collection of letters, numbers, and other characters, none of which should have any relevance or meaning to the user. It can be difficult to remember these complex passwords – this is the main reason why many don’t make them random. However, this defeats the object of making one in the first place – if it’s easily guessable it’s not a very good password, is it?
Let’s list some key principles for your team – and yourself – to follow that will guarantee top quality passwords:
- Length – The longer the better. Make your password long enough to contain a random array of letters, numbers, and characters (in a random order if possible).
- Difficulty – If it is too easy to remember then do not use it! Avoid easily guessable passwords with recurring numbers (such as 123, 678), as well as common words/words that are easily associated with you (e.g. Baxter123).
- Change – Change your password periodically. There is a chance your account has been hacked and the cyber criminal is already operating inside your system.
- Cases – Use upper- and lower-case letters randomly.
Passwords are often overlooked because they are so common. But this is not good enough, because they are one of the most important defensive measures you can take, they function as the first line of defence for your entire cyber landscape, so they need to be effective and capable.
Anti – malware measures
Anti-malware measures need to be installed on every computer and laptop you have, and that goes for both at home and in the office. You do get a bit of free malware software from the manufacturer that is just equipped with the tools to be ‘okay,’ but okay isn’t enough for business use. The free one is very basic – hence why it costs you nothing – and is not equipped to support your business’ high standards of cyber security. Using only this one could also see you liable to legal ramifications should an attack be successful.
Data encryption
The cyber criminal’s intentions are to encrypt your data, so it is your job to beat them to it and become the key holder. I know this sounds confusing – because, surely, we are trying to stop data encryption, aren’t we? Well, yes, we are, but you must voluntarily encrypt your own data. This is the process of scrambling the readable text of your files and documents so they can only be read by the person who holds the ‘key’ – by beating the cyber criminals to the punch you are making the process much more difficult for them.
With the knowledge learnt from these two articles we hope that you feel better prepared to defend your business from cyber threats.
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