Why Cybersecurity Is More Important Than Ever

In light of the recent cyberattacks that have rocked major corporations across the United States, companies need to prepare themselves against the threat of an online hack. From Colonial Pipeline to JBS, organizations nationwide have suffered from these major disruptions in business operations. And as nation-states like China, North Korea, and Russia continue to experiment with bolder and more ambitious assaults, the possibility of ongoing cyber fraud looms large.

So how can your company stay safe and out of harm’s way from cybercriminals? Here are some steps you can take to ensure that you are shielded from a cyberattack.

Protecting Your Company from Surging Cyberattacks

Provide cyber training to employees

Cybercriminals have found success when exploiting company employees who have not been properly trained on cybersecurity measures. To prevent phishing, whaling, malvertising, and ransomware attacks from interrupting your business continuity, companies need to mandate security training for all workers. By educating employees on how to recognize potential cyber threats, they will be better prepared to avoid falling for these common cyberattacks.

Here are some tips on how to recognize and avoid phishing scams.

Implement two-factor authentication

To implement an extra layer of security to employees’ normal sign-on process, companies should consider deploying a form of two-factor authentication (2FA). Two-factor authentication can be set up to send an automated text message to users containing a one-time code that must be entered to enable access to an account. This can help ensure that employees’ profiles and other information are not being viewed by outside intruders.

Here is more information on the importance of two-factor authentication.

Institute network segmentation and firewalls

Organizations can restrict access to sensitive files, data, and other assets through network segmentation. This entails placing resources into different areas of a network so that a breach will not impact the entire system. The implementation of network boundaries can enable your organization to institute enhanced security measures. Moreover, integrating a firewall to filter inbound and outbound traffic can make it more difficult for cybercriminals to gain access to other parts of your internal systems.

Rotate passwords on a regular basis

Mandating employees to change their login credentials on a quarterly or semi-annual basis is critical to protecting your environment from external threats. While this can be a simple addition to your organization’s cybersecurity efforts, there are many companies that (foolishly) choose not to enforce these kinds of measures. Requiring routine password changes for all users makes it harder for hackers to gain access to your network—thereby lessening the odds of an intrusive attack.

Develop an incident response plan

One of the most overlooked aspects of emergency preparedness and security planning is establishing a cybersecurity incident response plan. In the event that your systems are compromised, your organization needs to have a suitable plan of attack to determine what to do and who to turn to. Rather than being generated by a single stakeholder or department, your company must include input from all teams to ensure comprehensive coverage across your organization.

Take Lume’s cybersecurity self-assessment to learn how prepared your organization is for a potential cyberattack.

Next steps

If your organization is seeking a layered approach to remain protected from cyberattacks, look no further than Lume’s cybersecurity services. From antivirus and malware detection to threat response and DNS protection, our experts will ensure that you and your employees are kept safe from cyberattacks. Plus, as an authorized partner of Cisco Systems, we can examine your external environment to identify any gaps in security while implementing end-to-end protection services that integrate with your IT ecosystem.

Interested in learning more about Lume’s suite of cybersecurity offerings? Check out our protection services here.