Data is an asset for modern organizations because it yields valuable and actionable insights. Moreover, securing it is crucial for more than one reason. You must do it to stay on the right side of compliance regulations and preserve customer trust in the long run. Organizations that fail to secure confidential information can land into big trouble. Fortunately, dealing with potential hacking attacks is easier than you imagine, as a few steps are enough to prevent data theft in your organization. Here are the best practices to fortify your business against hacking attacks.
Locate all sensitive data
Securing confidential records of customers, employees, and partners requires you to identify them in the first place. Locating these assets can be daunting for large businesses and even small enterprises because you may have thousands of records. After mapping the sensitive information pieces, identify items that may affect their security. Also, limit access to sensitive data by minimizing the number of people and systems that access it..
Ensure password protection for your systems
Although you may identify the confidential information that your business holds, it continues to be a part of your organizational ecosystem. Requiring passwords for users to access your environment is the best way to protect it from hacking attacks. Also, ensure that these passwords are strong and complex enough so that hackers cannot get through them easily. Also, enforce best practices like not letting employees use the same password for multiple accounts.
Invest in ethical hacking
Hackers are smarter than ever, and the only way to beat them is by thinking like them. You can hire a hacker to test your systems and applications for potential vulnerabilities real hackers may use to get in and steal your sensitive data. As a business owner you may consider hiring a good Ethical hacker who has undergone some CEH Training from a reputed institute. An ethical hacker can also suggest measures to strengthen the overall cyber defense for your organization. You can rely on their expertise because they know how far malicious actors can go to compromise corporate networks.
Implement a firewall
Implementing and maintaining a firewall is perhaps the simplest way to secure organizational networks and data. A firewall sets up security mechanisms to safeguard your internal systems by monitoring network traffic. Additionally, it establishes rules for trusted networks and traffic and prevents unauthorized access to your ecosystem. So there is hardly a chance of an attacker getting through and stealing your information assets.
Establish an information security policy
Every organization must establish robust information security policies for its employees and third-party vendors. Employees should not be allowed to use personal devices for work. If you operate a BYOD model, consider having appropriate policies to safeguard data on employee devices. Ensure that employees exercise caution when clicking suspicious links and websites. Controlling and monitoring permissions for sensitive systems is equally crucial. You must also go the extra mile with employee vetting.
Data theft can be destructive for a business as it can tarnish the company’s reputation and bring hefty penalties for the organization. You can follow these easy tips to secure your confidential data from hackers and prevent malicious attacks on your network.
