As we move into the new year, equipped with more technological wonders, we are required to employ more stalwart cybersecurity measures to protect our sensitive data from falling into the hands of cybercriminals so our businesses can run smoothly.
The convenience of digitalization comes at a price. Every day there is a new security breach with higher stakes as we increasingly digitized our lives. According to a report by Risk Based Security, security breaches in 2020 exposed an overwhelming 8.3 billion records to security risks. This trend should be thwarted in the next year with robust cybersecurity measures.
So, here we are going to tell you how you can strengthen your cybersecurity in 2021.
What Is Website Security?
To start with, website security, which is often referred to as cybersecurity, is a set of strategies and measures that ensure the safety of your website and its assets in the face of innovative attacking tools and technologies. It is a cardinal measure in securing websites, especially of the business variety. Cyberattacks occur with the aim to access, manipulate, and even destroy sensitive data for the purpose of extortion or halting business processes.
It wasn’t so long ago when cybersecurity was considered the responsibility of techies. But the world has changed since then, and every person needs to be involved in the maintenance of cybersecurity. Smartphones, gadgets, laptops, and any other device that can be connected to the internet are vulnerable to cyberattacks. The risk of a data breach, loss of confidential info, and a company’s reputation heighten with these cyberattacks.
Therefore, it is essential that you are aware of the types of cyberattacks and how to amp up security against them.
Types of Cyber Attacks
- Malware
The term is utilized collectively for viruses, worms, spyware, and Trojans. Cybercriminals usually form a malware attack through emails, attachments, or links, etc. If a victim clicks on an infected link or email, malware is installed into the device. This enables cybercriminals to access, steal, or destroy data, and compromise computer operations.
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack
In this type of attack, the network, system, or computer is overwhelmed with unwanted traffic. A cybercriminal sends high-volume traffic to a server or system, which its resource and bandwidth are not equipped to handle. This makes a website incapable of responding to requests. This attack may not lose your sensitive data, but it will cost a lot to get the server up and running again.
- SQL Injection Threat
Structured Query Language (SQL) attack is one of the oldest forms of cyberattacks. A cybercriminal makes queries in the SQL, then sends out a malicious query to the device server, which then forces a server to expose sensitive information.
- Phishing Attack
It’s the most common type of attack, which intends to steal user’s data from any internet-connected device. In a phishing attack, cyber criminals pretend to be an entity that their victim trusts. They craft it in a way that persuades them to open an email, message, link, or attachment. It usually freezes a victim’s system and allows hackers to access the system and the data within it.
- Eavesdropping Attack
Eavesdropping attack is also known as snooping, sniffing, or network security threat. Cybercriminals tap into an unsecured communication system between a client and a server. Therefore, any information sent over the communication network is stolen before it reaches the server.
Tips to Strengthen Cybersecurity in 2021
There are a number of ways you can protect yourself from the aforementioned attacks.
- Acknowledge the Importance and Urgency
You need to acknowledge how important cybersecurity is, only then you will be able to fully commit to your cybersecurity and make informed decisions.
Cybersecurity shouldn’t be confined to the IT department only but should be the priority of every department and employee. Cybersecurity shouldn’t be viewed in terms of measurable returns, rather the perspective should be more proactive such as considering the cost of repairing damaged operations and the company’s reputation. As you put cybersecurity measures in place, think proactively to prevent a cyberattack in the first place. Reactive measures are also important so you can deal with security breaches.
- Educate The Entire Team
If you are serious about your cybersecurity, then you must ensure that your employees are serious about it as well. As long as anyone is equipped with an internet-connected device, they are at the risk of inadvertently letting attackers in. IT department alone cannot make everything foolproof at this scale. So you must educate the entire team on taking precautions again phishing, malware, and other forms of attack.
- Define Your Disaster Recovery Methods
In the case of a security breach, it’s easy to drift into panic mode. To alleviate such probability and calmly avert the disaster, you must create a disaster recovery plan beforehand. Outline steps on how to tackle the situation. What should be the priority, how to communicate with the stakeholders, how much you can spend on disaster recovery, are some of the questions you can start with.
How to Protect Websites from Cyberattacks?
- Strong passwords
Passwords are the first line of defense against cyberattacks, and they should be robust as they come. Employees are prone to utilizing simple and common passwords for their devices, which can be risky. IT can ensure that employees’ systems only accept a string and unique passwords.
If you don’t have an IT department, no worries, follow expert security advice and create a strong combination of alphabets, symbols, and letters for your password. You can utilize a secure password manager in case you forget the combination.
- Install an SSL Certificate
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encrypts data sent or received via the website. This enables only authorized parties to view it. A website secured with an SSL certificate has fewer chances of an attack.
- Secure Internet Service
Your internet connection connects every device on the premises and allows them to interact with each other. If the network is compromised, all devices connected to it are at risk. So it’s essential that you solicit the services of a reliable internet provider like Frontier Internet Service. Their fiber-optic connection provides an extra layer of security to data transmission and ensures fast and affordable connectivity.
- Web Host Provider
Each web host offers a different level of security services. So you better research and compare multiple web host providers before settling on the one that meets your security needs adequately. Do read up on their terms of security and associated costs before making any decision.
All in All…
These are some of the tips that may help alleviate cybersecurity risk. Remember that security is a continuous process, and you must evolve along with the innovative cyberattacks.
Baldwin Jackson is a successful digital marketer with expertise in search engine optimization and content marketing. The perfect balance of his analytical ability and creative thinking is what sets him apart from other practitioners in the digital marketing realm. He has helped a lot of small and medium-sized businesses in crafting their digital marketing strategies that are not only cost-effective but delivers results as well.
Baldwin is also a proud father of two kids and a Sports enthusiast. When he is not working, you will find him watching ESPN and NFL network. He has been able to get an amazing package on his favorite channels from Buytvinternetphone.com.