5 Cybersecurity Best Practices for Any Organization

There are many tools and policies that can help your organization stay safe. It can be challenging to determine what would work best at a specific organization. Factors like your existing technology or staff comfort levels can impact the choices you make when it comes to cybersecurity. We've gathered 5 cybersecurity best practices that are essential for any organization.

1. Keep hardware and software up to date

Hardware can be expensive, and it's easy to see things like servers and think: "if it's working, it must be fine." The truth is that your hardware can be a huge source of vulnerabilities. Software releases, like your operating system updates, come out a few times a year to add new features and to protect security vulnerabilities. Older hardware may not be able to support new software releases, leaving your device exposed to known vulnerabilities. It is essential to keep your hardware and your software up to date to prevent this kind of security gap.

2. Don't open suspicious emails

Spam email is more than a nuisance, it can be very dangerous to your organization. When you get emails from unknown senders, with suspicious requests, or with attachments or links that you haven't asked for it is best to ignore and delete them.

3. Enforce 2-Factor Authentication

Many people complain about 2-factor authentication, some think it takes too much time, are annoyed by needing additional apps or text messages, or just generally don't see the point. Using 2-factor authentication, especially for your most important tools, is a great way to keep accounts secure and prevent bad actors from accessing your data. We recommend using 2-factor authentication across your organization whenever you can.

4. Back up your data

Frequently and completely backing up your data is a critical business practice regardless of your size or mission. Having good backups can be the most important part of recovering from a cyber attack.

5. Use anti-virus and anti-malware

It will never be possible to be 100% protected from bad actors, but you can significantly reduce your risk. Using anti-virus and anti-malware tools can provide a strong layer of protection from cyberattacks.

Tech Networks of Boston has over 28 years of experience keeping organizations of all sizes safe. If you have concerns about your technology, security efforts, or staff awareness, please contact us.

5 Cybersecurity Best Practices for Any Organization