Cybersecurity

Best Practices and Tips for Individuals and Businesses.

As an Infrastructure Engineer, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of implementing strong cybersecurity practices to protect personal and business data. In this blog, I’ll share some tips and best practices to help you stay safe online.

Use strong and unique passwords:

As our lives become increasingly digital, it’s more important than ever to protect our personal information online. One of the best ways to do that is by using strong and unique passwords for all your online accounts. Microsoft recommends that passwords should be at-least 14 characters long. It's also essential to avoid using the same password for multiple accounts. By doing so, if one password is compromised, all your other accounts become vulnerable.

Tools like LastPass, 1Pass, and other password managers can help generate and store strong, unique passwords for each account. MangeEngine has a free tool that can notify end users via email in your organization that their passwords will expire in a number of days. Make sure to tell your family and friends about the importance of using strong and unique passwords.

Keep software up-to-date:

Keeping your software up-to-date is crucial for maintaining security. Updates often contain security patches that fix vulnerabilities that could be exploited by cybercriminals. Be sure to regularly update your operating system, antivirus software, web browsers, and any other software you use. In your organization, setting policies in Intune can help notify users on pushing updates and force their endpoints to be restarted after a period of time thus ensuring the devices is kept up-to date.

Enable two-factor authentication:

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring a second form of identification, such as a code sent to your phone, in addition to your password. Many online services offer 2FA as an option, and it’s highly recommended that you enable it wherever possible. While some tend to think 2FA is complicated, in reality, it's quite simple. With push notification and the app on your mobile, it's fast and secure

Be cautious of phishing attacks:

Phishing attacks are a common tactic used by cybercriminals to steal personal and business information.

• Be cautious of any unsolicited emails, texts, or phone calls that ask for personal information, such as usernames, passwords, or financial information.

• Always verify the authenticity of any request before providing any sensitive information. Look for signs of urgency or pressure in the message. Phishers often use scare tactics or other forms of pressure to try and get you to act quickly without thinking things through.

• Check the URL of any links in the message. Phishers often use fake links that appear to be legitimate, but actually redirect you to a malicious website.

• Be suspicious of unsolicited offers or requests for personal information. Phishers often use social engineering tactics to try and get you to share personal information or login credentials.

Use encryption:

Encryption is a process of converting data into a code to prevent unauthorized access. Many services offer encryption, such as email providers and messaging apps. Be sure to use encryption wherever possible to protect your personal and business data. One example of an encryption tool is Bitlocker, which is available on Windows operating systems and can be used to encrypt entire hard drives or individual files. It's important to use encryption tools like Bitlocker to protect sensitive data, especially if you store or transfer it on portable devices like USB drives or laptops

Backup your data:

Regularly backing up your data is important in case of data loss due to cyber attacks or other incidents. One of the best ways to ensure that your data is safe is to regularly back it up. Tools like Veeam can make this process seamless and easy. Consider using cloud storage or an external hard drive to backup your data on a regular basis, and rest easy knowing that your information is safe and secure.

Educate yourself and your employees:

One of the best ways to protect against cyber attacks is to educate yourself and your employees about cybersecurity best practices. Offer regular training sessions to keep everyone up-to-date on the latest threats and best practices. Knowbe4 are a well know company that can help with educating your employees.

By following these tips and best practices, you can help protect yourself and your business against cyber attacks. Stay safe online!

Interested? Let’s get in touch.