4 ways to protect your data from phishing

Don’t take the bait. By taking a few simple precautions you can keep your business data safe from phishing

Data breaching is a big issue at the moment, and nearly half of all data breaches small businesses suffer are the result of various acts of malicious intent. Hackers are clever. They will use a wide variety of tactics to gain access to your business’s computer network, so you have to be even more resourceful, and very well prepared.

For example, you might have to consider having an IT disaster recovery plan where you identify the critical functions of your business, pinpoint the risks like cyber attacks, and make an action plan to tackle the crisis. However, doing all this could be daunting for entrepreneurs, given the number of other tasks they have to look after. That is why owning a backup and disaster recovery solution like EnvironmentReady could help businesses be online quickly. With continuous data replication and data backup guarantee, it is possible that you can be ready for the worst.

Anyway, since we know the remedy now, let us talk about the problems. Today we would be talking about Phishing attacks. These attacks usually start with close surveillance of your company. Hackers will find as much information as they can online, and then try to use what they have gathered to gain access to your network and steal sensitive data. If your organization does not comply with PII – Personally Identifiable Information – guidelines, you could be making phishing easier for these hackers and thereby, increasing your exposure to data theft. You might want to prevent that, and you can do so with help of TokenEx or similar data protection companies. Everything from malware programs to something as innocuous as a telephone call can provide hackers with enough intelligence to run your business into the ground, so protect your data and your business reputation using these 4 simple precautions, courtesy of Syntax IT Support London.

Create smart data security policies

The creation of foolproof smart data protection policies should be the fundamental business practice, as it is a great way to prevent phishing scams from gaining all the information they need to access your company data. The first step is to make sure all of your employees are fully aware of just how important passwords are: making them sufficiently long and difficult to guess, changing them regularly (at least once a month), and keeping them to themselves.

A two factor authentication system – only being able to access information with a password and a code sent directly to an employee through an app or by mobile – is one of the most effective ways to prevent data being accessed by any unauthorised persons, as is restricting access to sensitive information by making it accessible only on a need to know basis.

Be aware of Spymail

The use of spymail by hackers is up 284% since 2013, so it is best to make sure you have defences against it. Spymail programs are embedded in emails, and make it possible for hackers to track the recipient’s movements. This makes it a horribly effective way to gain information about a company before trying to infiltrate its network and steal its data. Data security programs are available through sites like https://www.fusionconnect.com/products/networking-security/, so make it a priority to beef up your security systems before you fall victim to an attack.

Assess what information about your business is available online

It’s scary how much information hackers can get about a company without using any malware or hacking programs at all. The first thing a potential hacker will do is scour the internet for information about your business; searching through social media accounts, websites, blogs and review sites to learn as much as they can about what you do and how you operate. This means you should be very careful about what kind of information you put online, and keep on top of what other people are saying and sharing about you. Keep it minimal and to the point; giving enough information to attract consumers and clients, but little else.

Use secure fund transfer tools

A number of large companies have recently lost millions of dollars overseas as a result of an individual posing as an employee and requesting a bank transfer, but small businesses are not invulnerable to similar scams. Be sure you have secure policies in place regarding the transfer of funds, and that all employees are aware of them. Requiring requests to be made from a secure banking portal is a good start, as is working with IT professionals to minimise the risk of hackers taking advantage of shaky policies.

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