Companies in the UK are at the heart of a large target from cyberattacks. The situation was heightened in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic which gave a lot of these threat actors a lot of time to perpetrate their evils.

You don’t have to fall victim to them if you know some of the things to do on your part. We have put together a short guide to that effect.

For the Members of Staff

Your members of staff are very important in your line of defence. These days when most of them are having to work from home, here are some things they can do to always be safe.

1. Securing their Network

Company networks are usually secured better than personal networks. Cybercriminals know this and will, thus, go after the personal networks of these members of staff working remotely. Do these:

• Never connect to a public/ free Wi-Fi network.
• Download VPNs on your device to encrypt traffic.
• Change your default router name and passwords.
• Never access company files and data on unsecured networks.

2. Securing their Devices

Your network might be safe, but what about the devices that are being used on them? These tips will get your units safer in no time:

• Don’t connect your smartphones/ external storage media to unknown sources.
• Don’t let unknown devices connect to your computers either.
• Always upgrade/ update your apps/programs and device firmware as soon as there is a new version.
• Set up strong passwords for all of your online accounts and devices. Use password managers to store unique logins.

3. Read the Room

In this case, we advise that you stay vigilant and know the dangers lurking around you. Depending on your kind of business and industry, you will have to do a little more research on your own.

Common grounds to cover, though, are:

• Never trusting links and attachments in emails, especially when unsolicited (read more on phishing attacks for this).
• Install antivirus software to kick against malware from the internet.
• Don’t give anyone access to your passwords and secure logins.
• Always monitor your accounts for suspicious activities. Change your passwords immediately when you notice such.

For the Brands

As a brand, the buck stops with you to ensure a total security package for the organization. We have detailed some things that you should start doing right away.

1. Educate the Staff

Human error is one of the biggest causes of data breaches out there. Make sure your workforce is up to date around current cybersecurity happenings. Beyond that, anyone with access to sensitive files – or whose logins can be used to gain access – should be sensitized on what to do.

2. Be Proactive

Don’t wait till attacks happen to make changes or do what is right. In this case:

• Have backups of your files and databases, both online and offline
• Contract security firms to run audits on your systems
• Implement security audits’ recommendations