A brief guide to improving Cybersecurity in your company

Threats to the cybersecurity of any organization occur far more often than commonly believed, and they can have serious impacts on your business. Everyone who uses the internet is a potential target for malware or other predatory software, which can invade privacy or steal data, among other possible attacks.

We’re currently living in an age of mass digitalization, with more information on the Internet than ever before. According to Google’s Survey of Cybersecurity in Spain:

“60% of European SMEs that are victims of network attacks disappear within six months of the incident, often weighed down by the average cost of the attack, which is usually around 35,000 euros.”

According to the data shown in the cybersecurity report by the Ponemon Institute, it takes, on average, 197 days for a company to detect a network attack, so it’s very important to implement in-house cybersecurity measures within companies and thus, prevent possible attacks.

What should you do to improve your company’s protection? We recommend the following steps:

1. Prepare a cybersecurity plan

To protect your company, you’ll need to have a plan of action that covers the main objectives and most imminent threats. Additionally, you should consider some basic information about the company in terms of its cybersecurity, including how much data is generated, and where, and who has access to it.

2. Include the basics

There are a number of elements that every company must always have in mind:

Have a good password and encryption policy.

• Have a solid password and encryption policy.
• Implement an antivirus on all business devices.
• Use legal software from secure sources.
• Keep the software and work applications updated.
• Make a back-up copy of your data.
• Activate the restoration of operating systems.
• Implement two-factor authentication.
• Limit access to trusted Wi-Fi networks.
• Separate personal information from business information.
• Prevent the risks of using social media.
• Use email with caution to detect unwanted messages.

3. Communicate your action plan

Once your cybersecurity plan has been developed, you’ll need to communicate its functions and features to all employees effectively. By doing so, you’ll generate interest and expectations in the main users, who’ll then be more familiar with the process before their corresponding training even begins.

4. Train your teams

The planning of cybersecurity measures isn’t enough– you’ll also need to make sure they are carried out properly throughout the company. It’s best to implement a specific and innovative training program to make sure your team has all the tools they need.

An innovative example of such a program can be found in the serious game Crypto, a dynamic serious game on cybersecurity. Here, students must find and analyze common threats and learn techniques to prevent and detect network attacks.

5. Bet on cybersecurity

More and more companies are implementing these measures, and others, to protect themselves from possible attacks. The Ponemon Institute cybersecurity report estimates that:

“84% of Spanish companies will increase their investment in cybersecurity in the next three years, and will allocate a minimum of 10% of their IT budget.”

In short, all the elements mentioned above must be understood and applied effectively in order to enhance cybersecurity in your company. These improvements will help you create an optimal and secure work environment.