Does Your Business Have Any Cyber Security Skeletons in the Closet?

With Halloween on the way, let’s dive into a topic that might give you the chills—cyber security skeletons in the closet. You may not have old skeletons hidden away in the basement, but there’s a good chance of cyber security vulnerabilities lurking in the shadows, just waiting to wreak havoc.

You can’t fix what you can’t see, so it’s important to shine a light on these hidden dangers so you can take action to protect your business from potential cyber threats.

In this week’s cyber security awareness month blog, we dive into some of the most common cyber security issues faced by SMBs.

Outdated Software

Updating software can be a hassle. Update notifications always seem to come at the wrong time and it’s difficult to remember to do it later. But running outdated software leaves your devices vulnerable to cyber threats.

When software vendors release updates, they often include crucial security patches designed to repair any vulnerabilities in the previous iteration that hackers could exploit. Keeping everything up to date is a really easy way to keep bad guys at bay.

Weak Passwords

If your passwords are weak, you might as well be handing out your office keys to cyber criminals.

Create strong and unique passwords for all accounts and devices, using a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Password managers can be a lifesaver for generating and storing complex passwords securely.

As a business owner, you can’t expect your employees to do this naturally. Provide them with requirements for creating passwords. You can also set up software to force strong password creation.

Unsecured Wi-Fi

Picture this: a cyber criminal sitting in a parked car. He’s snooping on your business’s unsecured Wi-Fi network. Scary, right? Unsecured Wi-Fi can be a gateway for hackers to intercept sensitive data.

Ensure your Wi-Fi is password-protected and ensure your router uses WPA2 or WPA3 encryption for an added layer of security. For critical business tasks consider a virtual private network (VPN). It can shield your data from prying eyes.

You can also make sure your remote workers are protected when using public Wi-Fi by installing additional security software on their device. Our Information Security team can advise you on what defences are best for your business.

Lack of Employee Training

Your employees can be your business’s strongest line of defence or its weakest link. Employee error is the cause of approximately 88% of all data breaches.

Without proper cyber security training, your staff might unknowingly fall victim to phishing scams or inadvertently expose sensitive information. Regularly educate your team about cyber security best practices, such as:

• Recognising phishing emails
• Avoiding suspicious websites
• Using secure file-sharing methods

No Multi-Factor Authentication

Using only a password to protect your accounts is asking for trouble. It’s like having nothing but a screen door at the entrance of your business.

Adding MFA provides an extra layer of protection. It requires users to provide extra authentication factors, such as a one-time code or passkey, which makes it much harder for cyber attackers to breach your accounts.

Shadow IT

Shadow IT refers to the use of unauthorised applications within your business. It might seem harmless when employees use convenient tools they find online. But these unvetted applications can pose serious security risks.

Put in place a clear policy for the use of software and services within your business. Regularly audit your systems to uncover any shadow IT lurking under cover.

Need some Threat Busters to Improve Your Cyber Security?

Don’t let cyber security skeletons in the closet haunt your business. We can help you find and fix potential vulnerabilities and create a robust security posture that protects your business. Get in touch with the team here.