Simple Tips to Beef Up Your Company's Cybersecurity for 2022
The new year is here, and businesses everywhere are preparing to put some significant new year's resolutions in place. One of the best ways to start every year is to take a good look at your organization's cybersecurity policy and strategy.
Not only does it allow you to identify and remove any potential flaws each year and improve organizational compliance, but it ensures that your cybersecurity is regularly updated to better meet the needs and challenges faced by businesses around the world. Here are a few things you can do to beef up your cybersecurity for 2022 and set your business up for safety and prosperity in the new year.
Roll out a comprehensive (and strict) MFA and SSO policy
By now, every business should have a strict multi-factor authentication (MFA) policy for employees. MFA requires all users to verify their identity using two or more factors, meaning that in addition to their password, they have to verify that they are who they say they are bypassing additional steps via their mobile phone, badge, or even biometric methods like fingerprint, iris scan or voice recognition.
MFA is an effective way to ensure that all employee accounts stay secure and are far less susceptible to phishing scams. Even if a bad actor were to gain access to a password or PIN, they would have to pass possession or inherence methods of verification which would be close to impossible. That being said - MFA has been proven to be least effective with SMS verification, so transitioning to an authentication app or device-based MFA may be a better solution if you're still doing verifications by text.
Single-sign on (SSO) authentication has also become a must-have for businesses that are serious about cybersecurity. SSO authentication allows employees to sign in to multiple apps, systems, or websites with one set of credentials.
While it may not sound like much, SSO allows businesses to gain more control over who is accessing their apps, tools, and systems. It ensures that employees strictly adhere to password policies, minimizes your IT department's time on password recovery-related tasks, and reduces the amount of time associated with logging into tools and remembering passwords, increasing productivity.
There's also increased ease of use with SSO - employees can sign on to their primary accounts which are used for the single sign-on (Google or Microsoft accounts are most common) and then once they've gained access to those, they can use single sign-on for other solutions without having to pass multiple security checks for different tools.
Cut out unnecessarily risky behaviors
With remote work seemingly here to stay, it's time for businesses to get serious about where employees are accessing organizational accounts, tools, and systems. Implement a strict policy about not using public wifi access for accounts, devices, and tools, instead recommending that employees use a private hotspot or other closed private networks if required to work from a public location.
This ensures that opportunists are shut out from stealing passwords and data, mitigating risk and making it more likely that employees will think twice about when, where, and what they're connecting to when on company time. Educating them about the dangers of public wifi will also help them personally - nobody should be doing online banking at a cafe or airport.
Consult your cyber liability insurance provider
Suppose your business doesn't already have cyber liability insurance in place. In that case, the new year is the perfect time to invest in it - especially if your organization relies on sensitive data, such as health or financial information. Cyber attacks can be devastating for businesses of any size, and insurance can help to ensure that you can continue operating as close to normal as possible following an attack or breach.
Cyber liability protects your business from the hefty costs associated with a data breach, can reimburse you for business interruptions caused by a cyberattack, recoups losses if a cybercriminal extorts your business, and gives you the resources needed to launch a forensic investigation in the wake of a damaging cyber attack.
Suppose your business is already investing in cyber liability insurance. In that case, it's essential to look at what exactly your policy covers and what kind of security you need to have in place to put a claim through in the event of an incident. If you notice any significant blindspots, it may be wise to implement items and situations that aren't currently covered.
Bring aboard a Google Partner to lock down Google Workspace
If your business has joined many other American businesses in embracing the power of the Google Workspace infrastructure, the new year is an excellent opportunity to beef up your Google Workspace security. The best way to do this is to hire the services of a Google Cloud Premier Partner with the ability to optimize, prepare and monitor the security of your Google Workspace domain, eliminate risks before they arise, mitigate threats, and guarantee compliance across the board.
Google Cloud Premier Partners like UpCurve Cloud can work with you to design and implement a custom security solution built for your business, protecting you from the unique threats and security risks that may exist in your field. Our team of Google-certified consultants and engineers will audit all internal and external entry points, prepare domain recovery and alerting strategies, audit individual Workspace settings, and ensure that your business meets industry-specific regulatory requirements.
It's time for your business to get serious about cybersecurity. There's no time to waste. Cybercriminals only need a few minutes to inflict severe damage to your company and its reputation. By taking proactive measures like implementing a serious MFA and SSO policy, cracking down on risky employee behaviors, beefing up your liability insurance, and improving Google Workspace security, you can ensure that your business and its employees are protected going into the future.
UpCurve Cloud is a trusted Google Cloud Premier Partner with years of experience tailoring Google Workspace to meet the cybersecurity needs of businesses in all sectors. To get started on your Google Workspace security overhaul, schedule a consultation with one of our dedicated Google Certified Security Engineers today.
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