There are more than 35 million cyberattacks in the U.S. every year and that number is increasing. Cybercrime increased by 81% between 2019 and 2020 and then again by another 7% in 2021. Cybercrime costs American businesses about $7 billion annually. But that’s not all.
The attacks on remote desktop protocols, so crucial to our off-site workforce are also on the rise. Attacks on small businesses is also increasing, in case you think your business is somehow out of sight and out of the minds of IT data thieves. What can your organization do right now to buck these trends and keep your digital information safe?
Six Things Your Company Can Do Right Now to Stop Cybercrime
Since cybercrime is a problem for every size business there are some things that even the smallest companies can do right now to help prevent these incidents from occurring. For example:
- Make sure your software is up-to-date by running regular updates that patch your network and end-user vulnerabilities.
- Implement virus protection such as antivirus software or other threat detection and mitigation solutions on end-user computers as well as in your network.
- Back up your data regularly and store it in the cloud or offsite from your workspaces. This is the best protection from ransomware, malicious software that locks computers until you pay a ransom to the hacker.
- Creating and testing your cyber incident response plans frequently.
- Talking about cybersecurity to create a culture where your employees are very aware of the risks.
- Implementing two-factor authentication protocols on all devices accessing your networks. This creates a secondary verification step for anyone logging in to prevent unwanted access to your critical data.
All of these steps are necessary to counteract the rising tide of digital crime. However, we are missing what is the most critical step to improve your IT security presence.
What is the Number One Thing You Can Do Right Now to Stop Cyberattacks?
Hiring the right talent to manage company IT security is the top thing you can do to stay on top of an evolving threat. Reducing cybercrime takes real effort across your company. Having a dedicated resource to monitor networks, install the latest upgrades, and constantly beat the security drum with your employees will help keep your business safer from cybercrime but also ready to respond should the unthinkable occur. That’s where Blackstone Talent can help. We partner with companies like yours to provide them with the IT talent they need to keep their data safe. Call on us for top IT talent today. We can help.