10 Ways To Prevent Cyber Attacks

Advanced cyber threats are quickly permeating their way through every aspect of our lives. All organisations must ensure that they are working towards the highest levels of cyber security by implementing robust security measures. 

What is a Cyber Attack?

A cyber attack is an attempt by criminals to disable or damage computers and networks, steal data, or use a breached computer system to infiltrate other networks. As cyber attacks have become more sophisticated in recent years, prevention is essential for all businesses. Cybercrime is based on the effective exploitation of vulnerabilities, and it can be very difficult to protect all possible entry points. 

As the head of your organisation it is your responsibility to safeguard your network and the data you hold. Paying huge fines for non-compliance, losing clients or partners are not the worst that can happen in the aftermath of a successful hack. We all have heard of organisations going out of business because of a cyberattack. In the long run, hoping that your business is too small or that it does not attract hackers’ attention is not the right attitude.  

Prevention is key when it comes to cyber security and to help you along the way Syn-Star has compiled some effective strategies to combat sophisticated cyber threats.  

Most Common Examples of Cyber Attacks

  • Malware, phishing, spamming, spoofing, spyware, trojans and viruses 
  • Stolen hardware 
  • Breach of access 
  • Password sniffing 
  • System infiltration 
  • Website defacement 
  • Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks 
  • Identity-Based Attacks 
  • Supply Chain Attacks 
  • Social Engineering Attacks 
  • IoT-Based Attacks 
  • AI-Powered Attacks 

Cyber attacks target a wide range of victims from individuals to enterprises and even government bodies. When targeting businesses or other organisations, the hacker’s aim is to gain access to sensitive and valuable data such as personal information including bank details. 

 

10 Tips to Prevent Cyber Attacks

  1. Educate your staff: this is where you should start. Phishing emails are still the most prevalent forms of cyber attacks and unfortunately, the most successful ones too. This means that people are still gullible when it comes to recognising malicious links. Through training you can ensure that your employees are aware of the risks and know how to identify suspicious activities.
  1. Keep your systems up to date: Both the hardware and software your team use should be regularly updated to avoid downtime and to ensure efficiency. This will also protect you against vulnerabilities that are common entry points of cyber criminals.
  1. Ensure endpoint protection: The main goal of any endpoint security is to protect data associated with all devices that connect to that network. It does this by examining files as they enter the network and comparing them against an ever-increasing database of threat information, which is stored in the cloud.

 

  1. Install a firewall: Firewalls monitor and analyse incoming and outgoing network traffic and based on set rules that block or allow data they can prevent unauthorized access to your network. 
  1. Use reliable antivirus software: Antivirus software provides multi-layer protection against cyber threats. While antivirus software is designed to protect against a range of threats, there are some it cannot protect against such as phishing.

 

  1. Backup your data: Backed-up data can be accessed from various locations and devices, so, it prevents data loss in case of computer crashes, hardware malfunctions or hacks.
  1. Ensure the use MFA (Multi Factor Authentication): About 80% of data breaches are due to poor password security. Promote the use of strong and unique passwords amongst your employees and enable multifactor authentication as standard practice for all your staff. MFA access codes can be generated via text messages, authentication apps, or biometrics.

 

  1. Zero- Trust Policy:  Zero trust policy allows organisations to continuously monitor and verify the permissions of all users and devices. Zero-trust policies leverage threat prevention measures such as strong authentication and behavioural analytics. These can be used to identify potential attackers and restrict access when a breach has occurred. 
  1. Establish a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for remote workers: When working on unsecured networks the chances of a data breach become significantly higher. As remote work is now prevalent, it is crucial that you provide your employees with the necessary security measures. A business VPN can secure remote access to company networks and databases. Additionally, a VPN enables companies to grant access to specific resources while restricting access to other areas. A VPN also allows collaboration by transmitting files amongst team members via encrypted channels.
  1. Take out Cyber Insurance: Often referred to as cyber liability insurance or cyber risk insurance, it aims to protect the policy holder from financial liability in the events of cyberattacks, data breaches, cyberterrorism or regulatory violations. It is important to emphasise that cyber insurance is not a substitute of a robust cyber security strategy. It will not safeguard you or your organisation if you had not taken the necessary cyber security steps to protect your information. What it does, however, is that it covers those risks that still exist following the implementation of security measures.

Following our tips can significantly reduce the risks of cyberattacks and safeguard the data you hold.

To train and educate your team on cyber threats and prevention, contact Syn-Star, so you are one step closer to fending off cyberattacks.

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Agnes Syn-Star Content writer

Agnes Molnar

Agnes is Syn-Star’s expert content writer, she has  Master’s degree in English Literature that provides a strong foundation in writing and critical thinking of everything she does.

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