Security is one of the most important aspects of any business. Preventing hackers from entering your network can be a daunting task, but fortunately, there are many ways to protect yourself. In this blog post, we will discuss how hackers work and what you can do in order to prevent them from getting into your system.
How Hackers Work
The first step in protecting yourself from hackers is to understand the way they work. Hackers look for vulnerabilities and try to find a weak spot that will allow them access to your system. Once inside, their goal is to monitor what you are doing and gain as much information about you as possible, including passwords and sensitive files. Preventing this from happening is the only way to ensure that you have a secure system.
Scanners are one of the easiest ways for hackers to find vulnerabilities in your network, but there are ways around it. Using a firewall will help protect against outside threats and prevent them from finding their way into your business’s systems quickly by limiting how many places they can try and gain access to.
Hackers may also find a way into your system through social engineering where they will trick an employee with weak security habits (for example, an uneducated user with poor password habits) into giving up their login credentials.
How You Can Prevent Hackers
Now that you have a better understanding of how hackers operate let’s talk about the steps you can take to prevent hackers from invading your digital network.
Keep Your Software Up to Date
The first way you can help to prevent hackers from infiltrating your business is by keeping your software up to date. While it may sound simple, you would be surprised to find out how many companies are behind on their updates. These updates can be to your content management system, your cloud-based tools, and any other software programs that you use. By keeping your software up to date, you are limiting the number of vulnerabilities hackers can exploit.
Encrypt Everything
Since hackers use vulnerabilities to gain access to systems, you can prevent this from happening by encrypting everything. Using encrypted services means that what you are sending is better protected against surveillance and won’t be accessible to hackers. This includes emails, file transfers, and any other sensitive data that you are sending over the internet to another party.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication
A super simple way for you to prevent hackers from accessing your network is by using multi-factor, or two-factor authentication for as many of your accounts and devices as possible. This method requires the user to have not only their password but also a second piece of information in order to gain access. The second factor can be something they know (like a PIN number) or something that is attached to them physically, like an ID card with specific security measures printed on it. However, the secondary piece of information is oftentimes a code that is generated by an app or SMS that is then entered alongside the password.
Get a Password Manager
Using a password manager is another way to prevent hackers from gaining access to your system. Password managers encrypt all of the passwords you have so they are protected and then store them in one, secure location that only you can access. This means that when it comes time for you to log into each account (and don’t forget there could be hundreds), all you have to do is provide one password.
In addition to using a password manager, it’s important that you use strong passwords for each account and change them often.
Learn How to Spot a Phishing Attack
Phishing attacks are when hackers pretend to be a legitimate business or person in order to get you to give up your personal information. One of the easiest ways for them to do this is through an email, but they can also use social media sites like Facebook or Twitter if it will make you more likely to click on their link. If you are ever unsure about an email you have received, forward it to your IT professional before clicking on any links. The more time you take to prevent hackers from entering your network the less likely they will be able to steal information that can harm your business or financial accounts.
Utilize Firewalls
Firewalls are another way that you can prevent hackers from gaining access to your system. Firewalls act as an invisible barrier between you and the internet at large by keeping track of all incoming traffic on your network (both good and bad) so if anything suspicious pops up, like a Trojan or malicious code it can be stopped before it does any damage.
Hire a Team of IT Professionals
Finally, one of the best ways that you can prevent hackers from finding their way into your network is by hiring an IT professional to manage all aspects of digital security for your company. This allows them to configure firewalls and set up anti-virus programs so they know for certain what traffic is coming in and going out of your system.
Remember to keep everything up to date, encrypt all data that is sensitive and implement two-factor authentication on as many devices as you can so hackers won’t be able to enter your network easily or at all! Preventing them from finding their way into your digital network ensures the safety of your personal information, your employee’s information, and your client’s and customers’ information too.
Prevent Hackers with Businets
Sensitive information is stored and accessed digitally by businesses every day. While it’s far more convenient for businesses to store data digitally, this also greatly increases the risk of data breaches. Malicious hackers may gain unauthorized access to a firm’s data in a variety of ways, including phishing and exploiting unsuspecting employees as a passageway. And our team at Businets Inc. is here to help keep your business and its information safe with our IT services. Contact us today to find out how we can help your business become more secure and prevent hackers from finding their way into your network.