With so many people working from home cyber-attacks are on the rise. Cyber-attacks can come in many forms varying from viruses via emails to identity theft. Ransomware is a form of cyber-attacks that are more common. These install malware that will encrypt your files until you pay for the key to decrypt them. These types of attacks are growing by more than 350% annually! Businesses are experiencing ransomware attacks on an average of every 40 seconds! Cyber-attacks have also been found to put 60% of companies that encounter them out of business after six months! These are major risks to take into consideration if you are not prepared, and they can lead to serious consequences that will impact your business.

Another form of cyber-attack that is quickly growing during this current virus situation is phishing. Phishing is a form of cyber-attacks that focuses on fraudulent emails. Most commonly, these emails ask you to review or renew your credentials for websites and put off a certain type of urgency that should be a red flag. Here are some more tips for employers and staff to keep your company safe in these trying times.

• Maintain regular backups for all critical data. Also ensure policies for responding to security incidents and personal data breaches are in place.
• Install antivirus on all company computers.
• Train your employees on cyber security risks and limit user access as much as possible.
• Using a firewall for your internet connection even at home is important.
• Update Windows regularly and antivirus whenever an update is available.
• Providing secure video conferences for both corporate clients and staff can help keep cyber threats at bay.
• Use software that encrypts files that have private information.
• Avoid viruses in emails by not opening suspicious attachments until they have been cleared by your antivirus or a tech professional.
• Ensure that adequate IT resources are in place to support staff in case of technical issues.

For more ways to keep protected from cyber-attacks or if you need security support call us at (440)322-4537.