Hacking attacks have always been a concern for businesses, regardless of their size and scale. Large enterprises that house volumes of valuable data are prime targets for hackers. But even small firms are vulnerable because their security measures may not be as strong as they should be.
The risk of cyberattacks became more daunting during the pandemic times with teams going remote. As most companies plan to stick with a hybrid model, the threat continues to be around. Moreover, hackers have ways to break into the most secure systems, making cybersecurity an even more pressing matter for organizations.
But you can implement some measures to secure your remote business against attacks. Here are some smart ways to stay a step ahead of hackers.
Foresee potential threats
The pandemic hit hard because no one had the foresight, and the same applies to cyber threats. Business owners working remotely must have a security team at work to foresee potential threats and address the possible vulnerabilities. A proactive and preventive mindset gets you in a good place to reduce the risk of future attacks, even when you have people working from home.
Implement stringent access control
Not everyone in your team needs to use every application, system, and file in your ecosystem. The best way to safeguard these assets is by segmenting permissions to access them. You can decide on the users and applications to understand who needs to access what and implement stringent access control for your business accordingly. Although the process may entail initial effort, it can save you from stress and headaches down the line.
Go the extra mile by hiring a hacker
A more aggressive approach is the best way to secure your remote business against hacking attacks. You can hire a hacker with ethics to conduct in-depth penetration testing for your systems. Since these professionals think like real hackers, they are likely to detect the tiniest flaws that may serve as gateways for attackers. Moreover, you can get some valuable suggestions to ramp up your defense protocols.
Vet your software
The remote work landscape has led businesses to embrace several software solutions for communication, collaboration, tracking, and monitoring. While these solutions streamline tasks and enhance the productivity of remote workers, they make your systems more vulnerable. Vetting the providers is the best way to defend your business from potential vulnerabilities coming with the adoption of software tools. Also, ensure running the latest versions because they come with relevant security fixes.
Train remote employees
People are perhaps the weakest links when it comes to cyber risks. Cybersecurity training should be an integral aspect of a remote work environment, but most business owners consider it secondary to productivity and efficiency.
Take proper measures to create IT security awareness among the employees so that they can do their bit to secure their endpoints. Implement clear policies on the type of home network and devices they can use while working from home.
Securing your remote business against hackers should be a top priority because an attack may be more challenging to deal with. Fortunately, these steps are enough to safeguard your network effectively.