You’ve just set up your new iPhone or laptop. You transfer all your data, all your photos and notes from two years ago, and your SIM card has been installed.  

1. Use your company's VPN when possible and always use it when connected to public wifi, such as coffee shops and fast food places.

2. Make sure anti-virus stays up to date. Sometimes, being away from the corporate network means your computer can't connect to the anti-virus servers to get updates. Again, connecting to the VPN should resolve that.

3. Use your intraoffice messaging to verify suspicious emails. Phishing scams are more likely to be successful if they appear to come from co-workers because the apparent sender isn't nearby to check in with.

4. Be aware that emails with shipping information may be phishing scams. Phishing may be more successful because companies need to send equipment to people's homes.

5. Store data in your organization's cloud services to avoid data loss. If company documents are stored on removable media like a USB, it can get left around the house where your children might find it and take it to school, not knowing it is work-related. Or, a pet might eat it, and you, being unable to locate it, may have to report it as a data loss event.

6. Don't do personal activities on your work computer.

7. Keep all of your personal technology up to date and secure. For example, leaving default passwords enabled on your wireless can allow hackers to access your home network, including your work device.

Every 39 seconds, a cyber attack takes place. With a steady upwards trend, it’s crucial that you know what a cyber attack is and how to identify when it is happening. Put simply, a cyber attack is an unwelcome attempt to steal, expose, alter, disable, or destroy information through unauthorized access to computer systems. Sixty percent of small companies go out of business within six months of falling victim to a data breach or cyber attack. 

May 2021, President Biden issued an executive order on federal cybersecurity. This order details ways to improve the nation’s cybersecurity by raising national standards. Options outlined by the order include removing barriers to shared cyber threats between federal contractors, modernization of federal cybersecurity, and much more.

The term cybersecurity evokes a futuristic society filled with neon, cool clothes, and lasers. However, cybersecurity encapsulates a growing problem for most modern businesses. A study last year by the FTC found cyber fraud alone cost $13.44 million in 2020. Companies should be aware of these important cybersecurity threats to avoid losing a lot of money.

Improvements in technology also mean new opportunities for crime. Cybercrime is a growing concern for businesses, as phishing emails, malware, and scams, cost more and more money each year. Cybersecurity can help protect you and your employees from losing sensitive information, time, money, and professional reputation. With data hacks and security breaches making national news, you can't afford to risk leaving your data unprotected.