One of the most critical aspects of our cybersecurity services is educating Suffolk and Essex businesses about the importance of investing in effective cybersecurity defences. That’s because there’s still a massive misconception that hackers will only try to break into big companies.
We’ve seen many high-profile hacking attempts lately, from Tewkesbury Borough Council to Transport for London (TfL), but it’s always worth reminding local businesses that most data security issues and hacking attempts involve small companies.
Why?
That’s simple.
It’s because smaller firms do not have the same layers of security in place. A malicious hacker can easily break down the security defences of a smaller firm.
As a leading IT company in Ipswich, we’ve worked hard to develop our cybersecurity services. Our role is to facilitate IT and security solutions for businesses like yours. By focusing on network management and data security, we can check that you have everything you need to protect your IT systems.
In an ideal world, every business would have an unlimited budget and the technical know-how to protect their data from unwanted breaches.
But we don’t live in a perfect world.
At Lucid Systems, we think everyone, from freelancers and start-ups to small businesses, should be able to use safe IT systems.
Small and medium-sized businesses make up the bulk of Suffolk’s economy. We see how well small businesses are doing in the East every day, and we want everyone to know how to stay safe online.
So, we’ve made a list of the five most crucial cybersecurity steps every business should take.
Train your employees on cyber security best practices.
Almost every cyber breach can be traced back to a mistake made by someone, which might surprise you. How often do you get an email from someone you don’t know and immediately open an attachment? Have you ever clicked on a link without first making sure it was real?
Even though these may seem like minor mistakes, hackers can use them to get past your defences.
Have you considered investing in cybersecurity training courses for your employees? This isn’t about asking your team to manage the technical part of your defences (as IT security advisors in Ipswich, that’s our responsibility). Instead, it’s about upskilling your team so that your employees know how to spot phishing scams and, more importantly, who to talk to if they think they’ve clicked on a bad link.
By giving your team regular training, you can ensure that they are aware of the latest cyber security threats and know how to protect your company’s sensitive information. Improving their knowledge of cybersecurity issues could also protect them in their personal and professional lives.
Did you know that we can offer cybersecurity awareness training for your employees? If you would like us to run a workshop or seminar for your team, please phone us on 01473 355199
Use Strong Passwords and Two-Factor Authentication
We genuinely hope that most people understand that using passwords like “PA55WORD” or “1234567” is a very poor choice.
Using a strong password might seem simple, but it could make a big difference in your online safety. Hackers can easily break weak passwords, so it’s important to use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols and set up automatic reminders to change your password occasionally.
Multi-factor authentication solutions (MFA), which add a second layer of security, should always be turned on to make your passwords safer. Every time you try logging in, you should get a second confirmation, like a password sent to your phone, to ensure you’re genuine. This can help keep people from getting into your accounts and sensitive information without your permission.
The more layers of defence you put into place, the easier it becomes to protect your business.
If you need help setting up a password management system or installing MFA throughout your systems, please talk to us.
Keep Your Software and Systems Up to Date.
Keeping your software and systems up to date is another essential step to protect yourself online. This includes your operating system, antivirus software, firewalls, and other security software you may have installed. Updates often include critical security enhancements and patches to fix vulnerabilities that hackers might exploit.
We know it can be annoying to see pop-up messages telling you to restart your system, but it’s essential to do so to protect your business. You should check for updates regularly and install them as soon as possible on all your devices, such as computers, tablets, and phones.
As your managed IT solutions provider, we can handle your software updates on your behalf. We can automate regular reminders and ensure that your updates take place outside of business hours so your team is never inconvenienced or left waiting for an update to finish.
Don’t forget to back up your data.
Along with keeping your software and systems up to date, it’s important to back up your data regularly. This means making copies of everything necessary and putting them in a safe place, like an external hard drive or the cloud.
If you have a recent backup, you can quickly get your information back and limit the damage to your business in case of a hack or other data loss.
If you use Microsoft 365 or G-Suite, it’s essential to know that the tech giants take a “shared responsibility” approach to backing up your info. This means they will spend money on technology to avoid data breaches, but you must protect yourself from accidental deletions or cyberattacks.
Our data backup and recovery services are an excellent way to keep your data safe. We can back up your files in just a few minutes for a small monthly fee. Our backups will happen automatically, and you can feel secure knowing that the security of your data is being taken care of in a proactive way.
Preparing for the worst could keep you safe.
If we’ve learnt anything from the high-profile companies affected by cyberattacks, it’s that despite all the best efforts, there’s always a chance that your business could fall victim to a cyberattack.
You should always prepare for a worst-case scenario.
- If you were affected by an attack, would you know what to do or who to contact?
- If your staff had unwittingly opened a dodgy link, would they know who to talk to or how to rectify an issue?
- Your IT policies should outline who to contact in an emergency, but when was that last updated and verified?
- If you accidentally delete a file or folder, what plans do you have to retrieve those missing files?
With cyber breaches, time is always of the essence.
The more time it takes to identify a problem, the more time a hacker has to cause damage to your business.
That’s why we recently published a helpful guide called “I’ve been hacked…what do I do?”
Download the PDF – I think I’ve been hacked…what should I do (4)-compressed
We always recommend proactive disaster planning and risk assessments when it comes to your IT systems. Having a clear plan for handling a disaster makes it much easier to navigate challenges, whether they result from accidental errors, human behaviour, or more severe incidents.
There are a few ways that you can implement proactive threat management.
First, you could invest in Cyber Essentials certification. This would remind you to undertake an annual check of your systems to ensure your primary defences are in place.
Alternatively, you could look at our disaster recovery services. We can proactively work with you to create effective disaster recovery plans so that you and your team know what to do in an emergency (physical or digital). We can even run simulated disaster recovery drills to see how quickly you can regain access to your servers.
Talk to Lucid Systems about your business security
If you need help or support installing or upgrading new security measures for your business, please talk to our experienced IT security advisors.
As an Ipswich cybersecurity consultancy, we are not just Microsoft partners; we also have full ISO 27001 accreditation. This is our promise to you that we always align with global best practice standards.
We know how important it is for small businesses across Ipswich, Colchester and Felixstowe to improve their cybersecurity.
We don’t want local businesses to be the victims of hacking attempts because you’ve been worried about your budget.
That’s why our cybersecurity services are designed with you in mind.
During our initial consultations, we can assess your systems and recommend improvements that match your budget. By paying close attention to your business needs, we can ensure that your IT budget is spent in the right places.
