What’s one of the biggest causes of data breaches, accounts takeovers, and malware infections? It’s not a hacker with an elaborate code to break into your systems, it’s a lack of basic cybersecurity.
When businesses make mistakes like not properly managing cloud account security or leaving accounts unprotected by MFA, hackers don’t have to try very hard to get in.
The latest Sophos Threat Report noted that a lack of basic cybersecurity hygiene was the root cause of many of the most devastating attacks that were seen in 2020.Â
Is your company making simple mistakes that put you at a much higher risk of a data breach or malware infection?Â
Review our list of the common cybersecurity mistakes companies make below to ensure none of these look familiar to your business.Â
Not Properly Configuring Cloud Account Security
More than 39% of web applications were breached in 2020 due to misconfiguration. This is when business owners don’t properly configure the security settings in their accounts (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, etc.) or leave them at default settings that aren’t customized for security needs.
When this happens, attackers take advantage of the lack of proper security and take over accounts to steal data, plant ransomware, send phishing on company email accounts, and more.
Getting help from an IT professional for cloud security configuration can help you ensure you’re not leaving your accounts vulnerable to attack.
Not Using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
We’ve discussed multi-factor authentication many times, and this is because it’s so effective at stopping attackers from taking over an employee account.
MFA requires that an additional code be entered at the time of login. The code is sent to the user’s device, a device that most hackers would not have access to. This keeps them out of your account, even if they have the correct email address and password to get in.
You should enable MFA on all user cloud accounts. If employees are worried about it hurting their productivity, we can help you with single sign-on solutions that allow additional security without inconveniencing users.
Lack of a Cloud App Use Policy for Employees
When employees don’t have restrictions on the cloud apps they can use, you often end up with a messy cloud environment. This can include different departments using different SaaS tools that do the same thing and employees using apps you aren’t even aware of that may not meet your data privacy compliance requirements.
Unauthorized app use causes problems for companies, such as:
- Paying too much for cloud tools
- Use of redundant applications
- Data being lost or leakedÂ
- Higher risk of a data breach or account takeover
Today, businesses are more reliant on cloud applications than ever before due to the pandemic. It’s vital to have a cloud use policy in place that guides employees as to how they can use company data and the tools they are allowed to use. You should also include a way for employees to recommend for approval cloud apps that may fill a gap in their workflow tools.
Not Updating Security for a Remote & Hybrid Workforce
Approximately 58.6% of the U.S. workforce are considered remote workers due to the changes that COVID-19 has caused globally. Many Texas companies now have employees that work from home or work from both home and work, in a hybrid arrangement.
While the company network environment has changed dramatically, the IT security environment hasn’t always been updated to match that. This leaves companies with new attack vulnerabilities because they’re not managing or monitoring remote employee devices and haven’t put wireless security in place to protect transmissions.
If you haven’t already, it’s important to have an IT security audit to help identify areas of risk for remote and hybrid teams so you can address those.
Never Testing Your Backup Restoration Process
It’s not unusual in a ransomware attack for a victim to have a backup of the company data, yet pay the ransom anyhow. Why do they do this?
It’s because the company never tested its data restoration process and doesn’t know how long data will take to restore. So, company leaders opt to pay the attacker instead, hoping it will get operations back up and running faster.
You should regularly test your backup restoration as part of a business continuity and disaster recovery strategy. This helps ensure that you’re using the right type of backup/recovery system and that you know exactly how long data recovery will take.
Schedule a Cybersecurity Audit Today & Start 2022 More Secure
Cloudadvize can help your Dallas-Fort Worth business with a complete cybersecurity audit to catch any potential mistakes you may be making and recommend effective solutions to improve your network, data, and cloud security in the new year.
Contact Cloudavize today for a free consultation to get started.