5 Tips To Protect Your Business From Hacking

The internet has done exactly what its meaning stands for—it has interconnected the world. With interconnectedness, people from all walks of life from any part of the world can communicate with any other person located anywhere else in the world—as long as both of them have internet connectivity and devices to send and receive messages.

This technological breakthrough has also made it easier for thieves, frauds, and hackers to target potential victims. In a seamlessly networked world, hackers have also found such a networked environment to their advantage. Even in places as friendly as Australia, hackers have been known to wreak havoc. Good thing there are many talented and tech-savvy remote network engineers working as IT support Sydney and in other major cities. A lot of the work they do is through remote troubleshooting software (RTS).

Keeping Hackers At Bay

If you think your business is vulnerable to hacking, then learn more about how you can safeguard your company’s computer network from being breached by hackers.

Here are five safety tips to help you make your computer network more secure.

1. Enforce Strong Password Protection 

Password protection is still one of the best ways to balance your need to have a more secure computer network with the reality that a network that can’t be accessed even by your employees. Thus, you need to have a strong password security protocol.

The stronger password conventions are based on letters, numbers, and symbols, which don’t contain any reference to the individual, such as common terms, standard colloquial terms, and easy-to-guess numbers like birthdays. You should require access to all equipment, wireless networks, and sensitive data to be protected by strong password security protocols.

2. Require Periodic Change Of Passwords

Even the strongest password protection is susceptible to relentless attacks from persistent hackers. And with the advent of password breaking software and AI-powered password guessing applications, you’d have to think of further improving your account protection protocols.

One of the things you can implement in your business is to require your employees to change their passwords periodically, such as, say, every 60 or 90 days. This best practice would further lower the chances that a password-breaking software or password-guessing bot would breach your network.

3. Use Two-Factor Authentication

Another layer of security that you can implement in your network is the use of two-factor authentication protocols. This security protocol was developed because more and more companies realized the need for better cybersecurity. You can choose from among the various hardware authentication devices and software authentication applications.

Some of the hardware authentication devices are token-generating gadgets. You’ll have to configure the gadgets to your personal computers, laptops, tablets, or other devices. Once configured, each time anyone attempts to log on to your computer or laptop, something will prompt on the screen asking the user to generate and input an authentication token. Another commonly-used token generator is the mobile phone number configured to the account.

4. Design Systems That Are Safer

You can further prevent data hackers by installing limitation parameters on your network infrastructure. You can do this by creating layers or classes of authorization and access. Limit access to critical infrastructure, database, hardware, and software only to those who have the absolute necessity to have access and privilege to such systems.

As much as possible, keep the potential points of failure to the barest minimum by grouping the administrators and users in your network according to their need for access to specific networks, groups, domains, folders, and files. If they don’t need access to certain sensitive parts of your network, don’t include them in groups with privilege or access. Rationalize and streamline your reasons for giving access.

5. Provide Training And Reminders On Hacking Patterns

Some of the most devastating information security breaches in network engineering occurred due to a single user who made the mistake of doing what looked like an innocent search command or clicking a seemingly harmless link. You can further improve your company’s network security protocol by providing training and periodic reminders to your employees on typical hacking patterns so they would think twice if they see the red flags.

One of the most basic things you can nurture among your employees is an emphasis on network security. This could be done by giving training on best practices regarding strong password protection, the need to change passwords every so often, and why they should never let anyone borrow their token devices or mobile phones. You can even make training videos they can view during their break time or mentoring sessions.

Keeping Your Network Safe And Secure

There really is no full-proof network system infrastructure. In the end, it takes just one careless user to let a hacker in. So, keep in mind these best practices and share them with your workers through training and constant reminders: enforce strong password protection; require a periodic change of passwords; use two-factor authentication; design digitally safer systems; and provide training and reminders on hacking patterns and red flags.

Hendry Scrafford

Hendry Scrafford is an IT specialist with a cybersecurity background. He inspires novice tech professionals by sharing his knowledge and skills through blog articles. Hendry is athletic and loves scuba diving, playing golf, and mountain climbing. He is a bachelor and has a German shepherd named Scott.