A massive global shift to remote working environments has created an open-season for cybercriminals. No business, big or small, is safe. Small and medium businesses (SMBs) seemingly have a target on their backs, so strengthening your clients’ security posture is essential right now.
There are ways to protect business data against ransomware attacks. Here are nine tips you can share with clients to help them boost resilience to cyber attacks:
1. Conduct a security risk assessment. Understand potential security threats, like downtime from ransomware, and the impact they may have on your business.
2. Train your employees. Because cybersecurity threats are continually evolving, MSPs should implement ongoing cyber awareness training for all employees.
3. Protect your network and devices. Implement a password policy that requires strong passwords, multiple factors, and monitor your employee accounts for breach intel through dark web monitoring. Deploy a quality endpoint protection technology, and ensure your firewall security policies provide coverage for your network.
4. Keep software up to date. Be vigilant about patch management. Cybercriminals exploit software vulnerabilities using a variety of tactics to gain access to computers and data. Managed service providers (MSPs) can automate this for businesses with a remote monitoring and management tool. Don’t forget to keep your mobile phones up to date as well.
5. Create straightforward cybersecurity policies. Write and distribute a clear set of rules and instructions on cybersecurity practices for employees. Avoid creating long policy ‘shelfware’.
6. Backup your data. Daily (or more frequent) backups are required to recover from data corruption or loss resulting from security breaches. Consider using a data protection tool with your managed service provider’s help that takes incremental backups of data periodically throughout the day to prevent data loss.
7. Enable uptime. Choose a robust data protection solution that enables “instant recovery” of data and applications. Having a true business continuity disaster recovery (BCDR) solution assists in reducing your downtime as a result of ransomware.
8. Know where your data resides. The more places data exists, the more likely it is that unauthorized individuals will access it. Use data discovery tools to find and appropriately secure data along with business-class Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications that allow for corporate control of data.
9. Control access to computers. Use key cards or similar security measures to control physical access to facilities, ensure that employees use strong passwords for laptops and desktops. Only trusted staff should have administrative privileges.
Download this PDF with more details you can use to stay vigilant in the face of cyber threats.
Author Dan Garcia is senior manager, cyber risk and architecture, Datto. Read more Datto guest blogs here.
