Stronger passwords

Strong passwords are one of the key aspects of keeping your network secure. Your password is protecting your accounts, applications, and security tools for your business, but there are still people who use weak passwords across multiple accounts and when protecting their business. Starting to use passwords that are difficult to crack means that the first line of defence in your cybersecurity network is strong.

Multi-factor authentication

Once your passwords have been updated and are stronger, you should set up multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication is a way to further protect your accounts and applications, as even strong passwords are not enough if your credentials get leaked.

Multi-factor authentication means that when getting into your account you require an extra step of verification. You may have seen this before as a lot of banks and websites now use multi-factor authentication to protect their users’ accounts.

Use business devices 

Employees using their own devices are one of the biggest variables in cybersecurity networks. Staff using their own devices can be an advantage, but it can also create a lot of hassle in terms of security. Firstly, you don’t know if the device has been infected or not, and the owner may not know either. If a device has been infected and connects to your network, this could cause all sorts of problems.

Having your staff use company devices can be critical. This is because you can ensure the device is clean and not infected. If your staff have to use their own devices, then you must install anti-virus software on their device. Halcyon Networks can supply your business with a range of hardware to enable your staff to work from home. We can also install anti-virus/encryption across all devices that are being used at home to help keep your business secure.

VPN

A VPN has an important role in improving your business’s online privacy. VPN’s are applications that you download onto your device that allow users to connect to private networks from the internet in a secure manner. A VPN’s job is to encrypt all of your internet traffic to make it unreadable to anyone else who intercepts it, and this means you can keep your data hidden away from cybercriminals.

Update devices regularly

Constantly updating your devices can be annoying, but it is essential when trying to secure your data. Updates are often done to update security risks and vulnerabilities that have been found in the previous versions of your software. You can set your updates up so that they run automatically outside of work hours.

If your staff are using their own devices, you need to make sure that they are updating them as often as possible and also ensure that the servers in your office are being patched regularly to ensure that your systems are running securely.

Back up your data

Data can be lost in several ways, and you must back it up so that it isn’t permanently lost. Data can be lost because of human error, physical damage to your hardware, or a cyberattack. A cyberattack is where your data is wiped by a type of malware, and you won’t even have the chance to realise before it is gone, which could be disastrous for a business.

One of the most cost-effective ways of backing up your data is storing it in the cloud. Cloud back up services come with a vast array of options for you to customise your back up schedule and storage options. At Halcyon Networks, we offer a sever hosting and backup service to ensure all your vital business data is kept secure. We provide 24-hour daily backups for all your data, which can be accessed or restored whenever you need it in case of loss or disaster.

Phishing emails

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, there are a lot more people working from home, and cybercriminals are already looking to take advantage of this situation. It is highly likely that more and more phishing emails will be sent out to remote workers to steal personal data or gain access to company accounts.

If you do get an email and click on the link and end up on a legitimate-looking website, then it is important to check if it is legitimate before entering any information. Common signs of phishing sites include a lack of an https padlock symbol, misspelt words, bad grammar, and missing contact information.

Communicate with your staff

You should keep up to date with your staff and communicate the technical solutions that are taking place to protect any sensitive data, and explain how employees can comply with them.

Ensure your employees know what to do if their device is lost, stolen, or they suspect it may have been compromised. This includes who to report it to, and this person should make sure that they can handle the situation sensitively in a blame-free way, so people aren’t scared to report any issues. You want your staff to report problems as quickly as possible to make sure you can put precautions in place fast.

Halcyon Networks can help your business remain secure whilst working from home

While your employees are out of the office your cybersecurity network can become strained, this is because it has likely been set up for working in the office. So, new steps will need to be implemented to ensure your business remains secure and protected, whilst staff work from home. Halcyon Networks can help you enable remote working in your business to ensure business continuity during this difficult time. We provide a range of services that will improve your business’s cybersecurity and give your staff secure access to work systems whilst they work from home. To find out more about how we can help your business, visit our remote working page, or contact us on 0151 678 4545 or info@halyconnetworks.co.uk.