Richwood Bank is committed to educating our customers and community on how to protect their finances. In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month our Chief Information Security Officer, Kevin Ackerman compiled a list of industry-recommended best practices to fortify your small business against cyber threats. These come from an article published by AllBusiness.com. You can click here to read the full article.
- Secure Your Network Infrastructure:
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- Regularly update your hardware and software to patch vulnerabilities.
- Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) wherever possible to enhance login security.
- Ensure Strong Passwords:
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- Train your staff on password best practices.
- Utilize software settings to enforce industry-recommended password standards.
- Network Segmentation:
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- Minimize risk by segmenting different parts of your network from one another.
- Endpoint Security:
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- Consider using Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools, which offer advanced threat detection and automated responses to isolate and mitigate infections based on predefined policies.
Additional Best Practices to Protect Your Small Business:
- Log Collection, Analysis, and Threat Correlation:
- Employ a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tool or a similar service to gather, analyze, and correlate security event data across your network.
- 3-2-1 Backups:
- Follow the 3-2-1 backup strategy: maintain three copies of critical data, store them on two different media formats, and keep one copy offsite and offline. This ensures data resilience in case of cyber incidents or disasters.
- Privileged Access Management (PAM):
- Implement a Privileged Access Management solution to restrict access to sensitive systems and data, reducing the risk associated with privileged accounts.
- Security Training and Awareness:
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- Utilize a comprehensive cybersecurity training system that includes phishing simulations to test and educate your employees.
Cybersecurity is not an option; it’s a necessity for safeguarding your small business in today’s digital landscape. By adopting these cost-effective best practices, you can significantly enhance your security posture and reduce the risk of falling victim to cyber threats. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, take proactive steps to protect your business, your customers, and your reputation. Stay informed, stay secure, and keep your small business thriving in a digital world.
