Any business that's based online is prone to attacks from all sides by hackers, phishing scammers, corporate spies, cybercriminals and bad actors of all kinds. This is especially the case now more than ever as remote work becomes the new normal and more employees than ever prefer to work from home or on their own devices.
Having your organization attacked by hackers and cyber criminals won't just put your entire business in jeopardy. In certain spaces (such as healthcare and finance), failing to adequately protect your customer data and digital records can be downright illegal.
Hackers are more of a threat in the post-pandemic world than ever, and 68% of business leaders say cybersecurity risks are becoming more prevalent. This is the reality of the modern workplace.
Here are some of the most important steps you can take to protect your records from hackers and their ilk:
1. Create a Cybersecurity Plan
When it comes to protecting your customer records, the best offense is a good defense. It’s better to be proactive about safeguarding your proprietary information or your customers' sensitive data than to react to situations as they occur.
Having a standardized IT strategy that outlines what to do if hackers get a hold of corporate accounts helps you deal with situations before they become incidents, then crises, then disasters. Make it as detailed as possible, from the higher-level game plan down to what kinds of encryption to use.
2. Use Strong Passwords – and Change Them Regularly
A big part of hacking is about guessing passwords using private information or entities—things like birthdays, special events, favorite memories and easy-to-remember sequences of numbers.
Using a strong password makes it much harder for hackers to work their way into your networks. A few general best practices to follow here are:
- Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase characters
- Mix in numbers and symbols
- Use 10 or more characters
Better yet, invest in tools like LastPass to manage all your passwords and have them together in one place where only team members can access them.
Be sure to change them frequently, at least once every few months. That way, even if a hacker gets a hold of a password, their access to it will be temporary.
3. Educate Your Employees
A security plan is only foolproof if everyone is clear on procedures. 95% of cybersecurity issues are caused by human error. Proper training and clear communication at every level of leadership are how you eliminate that human error.
Make use of webinars, onboarding documentation, and training videos to get all of your team members on the same page about what needs to be done in the event of a cybersecurity attack.
4. Invest in a Good Antivirus Software
Just like you would keep a program like Malwarebytes on your personal computer, you need enterprise-grade antivirus software to do routine virus and malware checks.
Keep it up to date as well, as hackers often exploit weaknesses in outdated software and operating systems. Set it up so that it updates automatically with the latest files and virus databases.
Hackers are more of a threat in the post-pandemic world than ever, and 68% of business leaders say cybersecurity risks are becoming more prevalent.
5. Use a Secure Network
More and more businesses are making the transition to fully-remote teams out of necessity, which means more of them are making use of wireless networks rather than internal networks. Wireless networks are more vulnerable to security threats, meaning you need to take some extra precautions.
Update your network to a WPA2 standard, which is longer encryption that is harder to hack into. Use guest networks for independent contractors and other visitors that don't compromise your internal team network.
6. Encrypt Your Data Properly
Encryption is the process of converting your sensitive data into a code that can only be decrypted by someone with the correct key.
Not only does this add an extra layer of security to your sensitive data, but in some industries, it's required to meet regulatory requirements mandated by federal law. In the healthcare industry, for example, hospitals and clinics have to use data encryption for certain types of medical records to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Never transmit sensitive data via email or file transfer unless it’s encrypted. Ever.
Cyberattacks are a real threat to any online business, and your customers rely on you to keep their records and information safe from them. However, you can prevent the worst from happening by being proactive, having clear policies, and making smart choices.
Sid Soil is the founder and CEO of DOCUDavit Solutions. DOCUdavit is the leading provider for secure document imaging, EMR conversion, document/data management, and storage solutions for Canadian businesses and retiring lawyers and doctors. Since DOCUdavit's inception in 1994, Sid and his teams have worked with over 600 medical practices, 200 law firms, multiple corporations, and 10 government departments. They also received the "2020 Canadian Business Excellence Awards for Private Businesses."
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