5 Low-Cost Ways to Improve Cybersecurity

***Businesses don’t always have the money, time, or people power to implement big security changes, technologies, or policies. Many must rely on simpler, easy to implement, low-cost ways to improve cybersecurity. ***

1. Implement Password Management

Establishing strong password management practices can be a boon for your overall security and help keep your employees safe by giving them the means and knowledge to maintain these practices. It starts with a password management tool that securely stores passwords so they can be accessed in safe ways instead of written down on sticky notes. Passwords can also be easily and securely shared between teams and departments.

Related Blog: Passphrases vs. Passwords

Next, you need to establish password parameters to ensure, when employees create passwords, they’re strong, complex, lengthy, contain multiple types of characters, and can’t be easily guessed by cybercriminals.

Oftentimes your chosen password management program will provide a password generation tool that instantly creates an effective password, and it can easily be saved right back in the management program for later use. For another layer of security, implement multi-factor authentication into your password procedures so that employees use an app, email, or text to verify the login attempt.

Additionally, businesses can take advantage of passwordless authentication features such as biometric solutions (face scanning, fingerprints, etc.), physical security keys on USB devices, or mobile applications.

2. Update Your Most Important Software

Another completely free way to improve your cybersecurity posture is to keep your software updated with the latest patches and updates. Developers of the software you use every day are always patching it with updates that might secure old vulnerabilities. If you choose to stay on old versions with known vulnerabilities, you are opening the door for cybercriminals to exploit them.

For businesses that use a lot of technology, constantly updating all your programs, tools, and software can sound exhausting and very time-consuming. Luckily, tools exist to help automate this process to keep everything up to date without you having to worry or constantly check.

3. Train Your Employees in Security Best Practices

Cybercriminals are always trying to find new ways to infiltrate your business. One of the most common, though, is through social engineering attacks (like phishing) that aim to trick people into clicking on bad links or giving up their login credentials which can then be used to access a business’ network to steal information or deliver malware.

Related Blog: The Importance of Cybersecurity Awareness, Training, and Education

To counteract this, businesses can make sure their employees are prepared for these attacks through consistent training on modern cyberattacks. Everyone in your business should know how to spot phishing attempts, what to look for in bad links, and what to do if they fall victim. Not only will this help avoid most instances of social engineering, but it can also make it easier to identify attacks, stop them, and recover lost data before it can truly impact your business operations.

4. Create a Culture of Cybersecurity

Sometimes improving cybersecurity in your business isn’t about the technology, it is about the people and setting the right tone for how security will be treated. This requires buy-in from the top down. Everyone must acknowledge security protocols and follow them, take security seriously, understand the risks, and put it all into practice every day.

The best way to do this is to lead by example. Ensure managers and others in leadership positions are practicing proper cybersecurity practices and that they hold their employees responsible. Keep up these routines until it is second nature and you have built a culture around cybersecurity.

5. Use Modern Antivirus Software

Modern threats require modern defenses. It’s no longer good enough to rely on outdated legacy antivirus software because it’s just not designed to defend against what cybercriminals can throw at them today. Businesses need to upgrade to newer systems that have the tools to protect them effectively.

A next-gen antivirus solution has features like:

• AI and machine learning to help identify new threats and read patterns which could expose and stop attacks before they happen

• Behavior analysis to detect abnormalities in traffic and network usage

• Threat intelligence to update network devices to counter attacks and stop them from spreading

• Cloud-based solutions that remove the need for hardware of any kind

• Faster implementation and automatic updates

Get Help from an MSSP Partner

As we stated earlier, businesses that don’t have large internal IT or cybersecurity teams or that lack the time needed to handle all these security tasks may not be able to dedicate the time or effort needed to establish effective cybersecurity practices.

In these cases, there’s another option: partnering with an experienced managed security services provider (MSSP) that has teams of experts, years of experience, the latest innovative technologies, and the ability to stay up to date on all the cybersecurity news, trends, and advancements. Remove the hassles and stresses associated with managing cybersecurity for your business and let the experts handle it all from assessment to implementation to long-term support.

Learn more about what you can expect from an MSSP partnership and how it can benefit your business.