TOP 5 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR STARTUP BUSINESS FROM CYBER ATTACKS
If you are a startup,
you would first be concentrating on achieving BEP in your line of business
instead of playing around with cyber security and investing plenty of money
there. But, sadly this is not 90s anymore!
It’s rather obvious that startups are working on edge and are in
cash crunches mostly. Most of the startups are nothing but a high-speed
internet connection paired with a high configuration laptop. What we need to
understand is when the whole business is dependent on cyber world, cyber
security should be your major concern.
Why is Cyber Security
Service Essential for Startup Business?
Business is all about
revenues and cyber business needs online portals to transact. Now, what if we
tell you that you can lose all your hard-earned money to a hacker in just a
matter of seconds if you don’t use appropriate cyber security services. Cringe!!!
Whether you are a
hardcore manufacturer or an internet startup, if you have data stored online,
you are vulnerable to the cybercrimes.
Consagous is Austin, Dallas, Houston and Washington, DC based IT solutions provider company to back you up for all
your IT related needs. Take a tour of our services https://www.consagous.com/services/
Here are Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Startup
Business from Cyber Attacks
1.
Avoid Phishing Attack
Have you ever come
across a well-crafted email from your bank or Facebook asking for your login
credentials?
This is exactly what is called a phishing
attack. This socially engineered attack will contain a web link with urgent
instructions to fill out your credentials and no matter how authentic these
emails may look, never fill your details. Giving away your credentials is like
empowering a stranger to exercise your powers. It doesn’t sound good, right?
To avoid such attacks, train your staff and
create awareness for such attacks. The basic checkpoint is everyone needs to
get skeptical about the emails they are reverting to.
Solution: Mandate multi-factor authentication
(MFA)
MFA demands additional
authentication, like proof of possession of that user’s mobile phone by sending
OTP (secret code) via text.
MFA curbs phishing quite
effectively but still being skeptical is always recommended.
2.
Malware detection and prevention
To define it briefly,
malware is a malicious software that you download from the web and run.
Now, the next question
is why would you download a malware?
Attackers are very smart
this way, they persuade the user to download a malware by presenting it as a
legitimate and useful program.
This malware can pose a
serious threat to your business because it can do anything that the user is
permitted to do, and so lots of damage is done already.
Solution #1: Install antivirus
The prime defense to
mitigate this threat is to install a legitimate antivirus.
If you are running a
business and you are not using an anti-virus (AV), you are pretty much putting
yourself out there.
AV is an essential
ingredient to your IT security recipe. It will detect the malware just as you
are about to run it and block execution if the program is a possible threat to
your system.
Let’s sort it once and
forever if you are using Windows 10, you have a default Window Defender enabled
and hence you need not pay for other AVs.
And if you are not using
Windows 10, you need a paid AV installed. It applies to Macs as well. I repeat
it applies to Macs as well.
Get a paid version, to
keep yourself secured and renew your subscription periodically.
Solution #2: Use latest web browsers
Latest browser like
Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge are equipped with a download
defense that checks for malware.
These browsers check
download of .exe file & blocks the download if the program is a malware.
Solution #3: Try app-only platforms
If you are a risk-averse
person, go for app-only platforms.
When AV lets everything
run except for a list of known-bad-stuff, app-only platforms block everything
except for stuff that comes from that platform’s app store.
Platforms that support
only apps from an app store (iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows 10 S, and Windows
Device Guard) are more secure against malware than other platforms. You are
denied downloading from anywhere but the verified app store, which significantly
reduces the risk of victimizing from social engineering attacks.
Additionally, app-only
platform runs apps inside a sandbox which restrains the app from accessing the
user’s files or other critical resources, without user permission.
3.
Survive ransomware
Ransomware needs no
introduction after the mass sabotage it did. It is a malware that encrypts and
ransom your data files.
Solution: Periodical offline backups
Keeping all your data
online saves you from natural disasters but at the same time, you are
vulnerable to the gruesome cyber-attacks.
Imagine the world where
an intruder has equivalent rights as you do regarding your online data or
payment gateways.
It’s prudent to keep
offline backups for your data on a periodical basis to recover faster from
damage done by cyber-attacks.
4.
Startups= Outsource DBMS requirement
Being a startup,
managing your server is not a good idea. Plus, you may not have enough
resources to manage it. Misconfigured internet servers are a very soft target
for attackers and can cause public defamation at times.
Solution: Leverage the cloud
Best bet for startups is
to leverage cloud services, such as Azure, AWS, Google, Oracle, IBM, etc. It is
cost effective and your data is relatively secured.
5.
Monitor BYOD
Bring Your Own Device
(BYOD) is a famous and cost-effective concept these days.
Before you opt-in for
this option, get a perspective on the risks involved in it. Your data is with
people who may or may not use a secured browser or may get conned in a phishing
attack or may use an insecure network for daily operations.
Little savings can cost
you a fortune if a hacker intrudes in your network due to inadequate IT
security.
Solution: Enable mobile device security
Draft and implement a
good IT security policy for mobile devices. Good policies for your minimum bar
should include:
Require a PIN/Password:
Mobile devices when accessing the company’s database should require a strong
password.
Device encryption:
Ensure that the device’s storage is encrypted. Latest OS has the feature of
encrypting the device storage by default.
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