Technology has completely changed the way that modern workplaces operate. The power of the internet and digital technologies is being harnessed by an increasing number of businesses, including small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), to increase productivity, boost efficiency, and ensure the continuity of business operations. Remote working and cloud-based applications and systems are two examples of this trend.

While technological advancement has made it possible for anyone in any part of the world to have access to a place of employment, this also comes with its fair share of risks. Online users and vulnerable systems risk being attacked by cybercriminals, who are waiting and ready to strike. According to research in 2019, over 66 percent of small and medium-sized businesses worldwide have reported experiencing a cyberattack in the past year.

It is necessary to make increased efforts to protect your company and its employees from the danger posed by cyberattacks because new hazards are discovered yearly. The following is a list of helpful advice that may be used to keep your company and its employees secure online and in your systems.

Protect against ransomware attacks.

Attacks utilizing ransomware are intended to render corporate systems inoperable or illegally gain control in exchange for monetary payments. This causes organizations to experience significant disruption as well as significant financial losses. Phishing is only one of the many strategies that cybercriminals are known to employ to break into computer systems. When a threat actor has gained access to a network, it is only a matter of time before data and systems are corrupted and users cannot log in.

Attacks using ransomware often include convincing people to click on malicious links or attachments, which could be in the form of a PDF, ZIP file, Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or any number of other file types.

Be wary of questionable messages sent by email or text message. Resist the urge to click on potentially dangerous links or attachments in an email if you were not expecting it, you do not know the sender, or you have doubts about the source. Doing so could give fraudsters access to your account.

Be wary of social engineering.

Have you ever received an email that demanded personal information from you or warned you that your account could be compromised until you provided your login information? Social engineering is a sort of cybercrime in which unwary consumers are subjected to psychological manipulation by cyber criminals to coerce them into exposing personal information online. Awareness, eyeing for conduct that seems fishy, and knowing who you can trust with personal or commercial information are the greatest ways to thwart an attempt at social engineering.

Before putting important information online, it’s a good idea to double-check it. Ask yourself: Does this look, seem, or appear legitimate? Should you disclose all of this information through the web form? What kind of risk are you putting yourself at by disclosing this information? You should also learn how to see what Google knows about you, as this may give you an idea of what sort of information is available about you online.

Use unique passwords

Most people have a lot of accounts and devices that they use every day. Because of this, most people repeat their passwords instead of trying to remember multiple different ones. This could mean that employees often use the same password or a password similar to the one they use for their personal accounts. This could put you in jeopardy because it means that if any one of your accounts is hacked by hackers, it could mean that all of your accounts and the information they carry are extremely easily accessible.

A helpful hint is to change your passwords frequently and to make sure they contain a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters. When making secure passwords, you shouldn’t use easily found or guessed personal information like your date of birth, the first line of your home or business address, or the names of your pets.