cybersecurity

3 Ways To Strengthen Your Business Cybersecurity

With increasing reports of cyber-attacks as a result of the pandemic, it is now important more than ever that business leaders identify, assess, and respond effectively by implementing strategies that ensure well-established resilience in their cyberinfrastructure.

Cyber-attacks and data breaches are the biggest worries most businesses face today. And these worries have only piled up more with most workers globally now working from home, which makes cyber resilience harder to achieve but necessary to have.

With businesses across the globe being disrupted by the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19, this time presents the best opportunity to re-examine and refine your cybersecurity policies and capacities. It is crucial organisations begin to take proactive steps to prepare for what comes next in these unprecedented times and remain secure as they plan towards a new normal or at the very least, a resemblance of it.

Here are three easy ways you can boost your organisation’s cybersecurity resilience:

1. Encourage Safe Computing Practices 

Review the always “available” demands from your team to set expectations. For example, every evening, employees should switch off from work and their devices. Set clear goals and expectations for the security responsibilities of employees as they work remotely.

Establish multiple channels of communication that will keep employees, partners, and clients connected while at the same time providing a channel for sending and receiving critical information that relates to security incidents.

To avoid the spread of misinformation, a decline in productivity, or employee disengagement, track, monitor, and provide updates. This enhanced security monitoring not only helps with these but provides assurances with regards to remote user behaviour.

To protect your business against cyber attacks, provide ongoing employee training and vital security information. Ensure that while old materials are updated, you are highlighting current threats.

2. Expand Workplace Capabilities by Securely Leveraging Technology

With most of the workforce now working from home, it is important that you securely increase your remote work capabilities. However, you have to keep in mind that introducing new technologies also means the introduction of new cyber and data privacy concerns, which further complicates the cybersecurity landscape.

Conduct intermittent security reviews and assessments of remote work infrastructure to support the operation of the business with assurance.

Plan for response and continuity of business by reviewing incident response plans and contingencies, which include alternate employee communication channels, such as phone, social media, etc.) or hiring IT outsourcing services to keep systems going without disruptions.

Create platforms that allow security personnel to remotely work on day-to-day activities, to the same level as when they worked internally. Incorporate self-service technology platforms like chatbots and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) for management of issues.

Related article: IT Outsourcing Trends for 2021 [Infographic]

3. Take Cybersecurity More Seriously

Is the data security and backup systems in place? Review the needs of your remote workforce, ensure policies and procedures have been updated, and your teams keep to data backup practices.

Evaluate and fortify your security infrastructure, like VPNs, cloud environments, as well as virtual desktop infrastructure. Monitor and respond to threats by deploying or enhancing endpoint and mobile security.

Get regular updates from dependent third-party security service providers and if necessary, revise security level agreements (SLAs).

Conclusion

While it may seem like cybersecurity is just one aspect of your organisation’s challenges in the pandemic, it is, however, a significant one. With the serious disruptions of business operations caused by COVID-19 all over the world, this time presents a great opportunity for businesses to re-examine their cybersecurity policies and capabilities and implement measures that keep them one step ahead.