It’s important to implement practical corporate cybersecurity measures especially in today’s volatile climate. The number of reported cyber threats are increasing as we progress and it will most likely continue on the same trajectory. All businesses and commercial enterprises are a target especially if they have access or control over valuable information such as trade secrets and intellectual properties.
The common tools or methods of infiltrating the corporation’s cybersecurity infrastructure is by using some form of malicious software (i.e., malware) that’s designed to penetrate the network and cause havoc. Malware includes viruses and ransomware. The hackers can also use other methods to infiltrate the system such as “phishing” which is usually done by sending an email to encourage the recipient to click on the link. Now, once the recipient clicks on the link or opens the attachment, the malicious software is released into the network.
It’s important to have a dedicated team of information technology experts who can evaluate the network and improve the cybersecurity measures. They can use all sorts of tools and techniques (e.g., penetration testing) to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the network infrastructure. It is crucial to have a “cybersecurity planning tool” to assist the company with building a robust cybersecurity strategy. There are various governmental tools and resources that the company can use to achieve this goal.
The experts have several important recommendations for reaching this objective. For example, it’s important to train all employees whether they’re full-time or part-time workers. The training sessions should discuss spotting phishing emails, good internet browsing practices, avoiding questionable downloads, creating passwords, and protecting confidential information. We recommend using all tools and techniques to reach these objectives such as updating the software on a regular basis and using anti-virus software. In addition, another tool is encryption software that could help prevent unauthorized access to private or confidential information. The network administrator should implement firewall technology and multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access. The network routers should be password protected at all times. There are software applications that can help general strong passwords on a regular basis. Strong passwords should yield at least 10 characters, at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter, at least one number and one special character. We cannot emphasize the importance of having a good backup system – i.e., conducting regular backups and storing the information in a safe location. The network administrator should control physical access to all electronic devices whether they’re onsite of offsite. Also, regular employees or agents should not have administrative privileges on the network.
We cannot emphasize enough that the goal of the hackers is to disrupt the network system and cripple the operations. Obviously, it takes time and money to fix the problem so the executive team should be very careful when it comes to cybersecurity management. The hackers can also distort the information that’s coming in or going out of the network which can cause public distrust. For example, they can send false documents to the cloud and give instructions to company employees to transfer funds to their accounts. Finally, we recommend testing each and every new technology that’s implemented into the network system. For example, if the company is planning to use artificial intelligence technology, it must be tested before launching it. The experts have warned that the hackers will continue to use phishing attacks, ransomware attacks, cloud jacking, mobile malware, 5G technology vulnerabilities, IoT vulnerabilities, deepfakes, and API vulnerabilities in the future.
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