While the holiday season can be a busy and profitable time for businesses, it's also an opportune time for cybercriminals to attack. It is when they look to capitalize on increased online activity and higher volumes of financial transactions, which is why it’s increasingly important to secure your network from potential threats during this time.
Fortunately, there are a few simple measures you can take to ensure your business is sufficiently protected during the holiday season.
Tip 1: Be extra cautious with emails
Online scams are highly popular during the holidays, and these usually involve emails containing malicious attachments or links to phishing websites. Make sure all of your employees are aware that they should never open any emails from unknown sources, even if these messages appear to be from a legitimate source.
It’s also essential to educate staff on how to spot suspicious emails and how to report them.
Tip 2: Scan, patch, and update software
Software vulnerabilities are some of the most common entry points for cybercriminals, so make sure to scan your systems regularly for any potential issues. If you discover any vulnerabilities, patch and update your software as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of security breaches.
If possible, automate these processes to ensure that all of your software is up to date without needing manual intervention.
Tip 3: Create and test backups
Data loss is one of the most common problems associated with cybercrime, so it’s crucial to have a reliable backup system in place. Not only will this help you recover from data breaches or ransomware attacks, but it can also save you time and money in the long run by reducing the amount of manual work required to restore lost data.
You should also regularly test your backups to ensure that they’re functioning correctly and can be restored in the event of an attack.
Tip 4: Secure your network
Implementing multilayered security measures is essential to keeping your network secure from potential threats. This should include a combination of firewalls, antivirus software, and other security tools that are necessary in keeping your network adequately protected.
It’s equally important to regularly monitor and review your security settings, as well as any changes made to your systems. Doing so will make it easier to spot any potential weaknesses in your security and fix them before they can be exploited by malicious actors.
Implementing multilayered security measures is essential to keeping your network secure from potential threats.
Tip 5: Conduct threat hunting
Threat hunting is a proactive approach to cybersecurity that involves actively searching for potential threats before they can cause harm. This can involve analyzing logs and traffic flows, monitoring user behavior, or running simulations of potential attacks to detect any vulnerabilities in your security system.
By conducting regular threat-hunting activities, your systems will be better protected and more resilient to attacks.
Tip 6: Implement identity and access management
An identity and access management (IAM) system can help protect sensitive data by granting different levels of access to various parts of your network. Only authorized personnel will have access to important files, reducing the risk of unauthorized personnel accessing sensitive information.
Additionally, you can use an IAM solution to monitor user behavior and access attempts, making it easier to detect any suspicious activity and take prompt action.
Tip 7: Have IT security staff on call
During the holidays, your company should have an IT security specialist on call so that there's someone who can keep an eye out for and resolve potential issues even when most of the staff are busy or on vacation. This is especially critical if you’re handling a high volume of transactions or sensitive customer data.
This IT security specialist can also help reduce the impact of any potential cyberattacks by taking immediate steps to limit the damage and quickly restore any lost data.
The holiday season is a prime time for cybercriminals, so it’s important to take extra steps to secure your network and data. Following these seven tips lets you stay one step ahead of hackers and protect your business from potential threats.
For more advice on protecting your business from cyberthreats, contact our specialists at Complete Document Solutions today.
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