Best Cybersecurity Practices to Avoid Cyber Attacks

Undoubtedly, data breaches and hacks are quite unpredictable, especially without cyber security protocols. We often misinterpret that small organizations are specifically not cyber attack-prone without measures of cybersecurity - but the reality is somewhat different from our imagination.

Most business owners tend to neglect the fact that they can encounter any sort of data-breaching scenario. However, such consideration has no place in this digitalized world, where accessing relevant data is at our fingertips.

In a conducted report, about almost 43% of cyber-attacks are primarily targeted at small companies which haven’t yet received sufficient recognition. The cybercriminals found the small enterprises appealing because of the lack of adequate initiative while implementing the business policy and Cybersecurity Fundamentals.

Though they contain the required business policy and avail the necessary measures, they highly overlook protecting information security policies. They also fail to safeguard sensitive data, including the client's personal information. So, it is first important to acknowledge what sort of data is sensitive and what is not.

Additionally, most organizations operated with minimal resources lack a stringent privacy policy as well.

This is a prime reason why you should always opt for long-term investment in enhancing companies' security, including robust cybersecurity practices. But, before that, it is important to know about the cybersecurity measures that can establish digital safety for your enterprise.

 

Exploring Top Cybersecurity Protocols

In the dynamic cybersecurity landscape, understanding best cybersecurity practices and cybersecurity protocols is crucial to safeguarding digital assets against evolving threats. Stay informed about the latest security measures. Let's delve into some of the key cybersecurity protocols that underpin your security strategy.

SSL/TLS encrypts data during transmission for secure online interactions, while IPsec reinforces network security, crucial for VPNs.

Secure Shell (SSH) provides secure remote access, empowering administrators to confidently manage network devices and servers. These protocols collectively bolster your defense against the ever-changing landscape of cyber threats, enhancing the security of your digital presence.

Additionally, emerging technologies like Zero Trust focus on continuous verification and stringent access control, never assuming trust, even within your network. These security protocols, including encryption, authentication, intrusion detection, and firewall management, collectively contribute to a multi-layered defense against an array of cyber threats. Understanding and implementing a comprehensive list of security protocols is essential for safeguarding your digital assets.

 

Examples of Cybersecurity Protocols

To illustrate the importance and diversity of cybersecurity protocols, here are a few examples:

SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security): This protocol encrypts data transmitted between your web browser and a server, ensuring secure online transactions and data exchange.

IPsec (Internet Protocol Security): IPsec secures internet communication at the network layer, providing essential protection for virtual private networks (VPNs) and data integrity.

SSH (Secure Shell): SSH offers secure remote access to network devices and servers, enabling administrators to manage systems safely.

Zero Trust: This innovative approach focuses on continuous verification and strict access control, never assuming trust, even from within your network.

 

Who Benefits from Cybersecurity Practices?

The impact of cybersecurity practices extends across a diverse landscape of individuals and entities. Small businesses turn to these measures as guardians of their data and the trust of their clientele. Cybersecurity professionals, on the other hand, consider these practices as the gateway to a fulfilling and prosperous career, where their knowledge and skills are highly sought after.

For enterprises, regardless of their scale, cybersecurity practices stand as a fortress around their operations, financial resources, and critical data.

By prioritizing these measures, organizations earn the faith of their stakeholders and customers, ensuring the safety of digital transactions and interactions in an increasingly interconnected world.

 

Four Common Methods Used by Cybercriminals

Cybersecurity is never a one-time solution to achieve. To ensure continuous detection, organizations must understand the sources of cybersecurity threat types and methods. Implementing robust cybersecurity practices is crucial in safeguarding sensitive data and systems.

 

 

Before we head toward the required cybersecurity practices, here are some common methods that are used by cybercriminals.

Method 1: Watering Holes

Well, you must be heard about this cyber threat technique but are probably unaware of it. Technically, cybercriminals get control of legitimate websites by implementing this strategy, without the owner's acknowledgment.
Basically, they turn the authorized website into a malicious website. In most cases, this kind of drastic step is taken by business competitors.
So, make sure, you avoid tapping on the pop-up ads, messages, fields, or suspicious links to safeguard the essential information.

Method 2: Phishing

Do you know what phishing actually indicates? It primarily takes place when a cybercriminal successfully engages an email recipient to open a malicious link/attachment that can eventually insist on downloading particular ransomware.
This method is quite a common data-breaching method that the device users unknowingly opt for.
And, more specifically, when you are directed to malware-laden websites, you're actually paving the way for the hackers to obtain unprotected business plans and other essential credentials.

Method 3: Drive-by Downloads

Generally, when it comes to the drive-by-download method, it simply denotes a subtle attempt to install malicious software on the device without the user’s permission.
This mostly occurs when the operating system is backdated and an adequate security system is not in the right place.

Method 4: Man-in-the-Middle Attack

This sort of cyberattack occurs when cybercriminals secretly establish communication between two parties to get login credentials and other account information.
So, your corresponding entrepreneur or client and even your own organization members get into the list of the suspects. So, be extremely attentive to whom you are sharing the credentials.

 

Cyber Threats in Small Enterprises

Well, you might have installed a wide range of high-quality CCTV cameras on the premises of your enterprise to monitor the activities of the susceptible person. But, a cyberattack is something that is performed internally without the presence of the person.

So, even if you have implemented varieties of cyber security protocols, if the enterprise network is not well-protected, the chances of cyber threats are comparatively high in such instances. 

At this point, you might be trying to equip new business strategies such as SSL installation to improve the standard of the products/services to acquire more customers in your service platform.

Likewise, cybercriminals are also opting for new and trickier ways to easily break in. These hackers are always in search of more advanced data breaching strategies that can bring them success without any constraints.

 

How to Prevent Small Enterprises from Cyber Criminals?

Cyber-attacks do not necessarily mean data breaching, it even leads to cyberbullying as well. This kind of phenomenon not only dramatically impacts the overall life of the employees, but also it can cause severe damage to a company’s persona and reputation.

So, business leaders need to provide prompt responses to protect their employees from such uncanny scenarios. Thus, it becomes essential to avail of required proactive cyber security protocols and SSL installation. Here are the crucial cybersecurity measures that you should definitely consider equipping:

1) Protect the Enterprise Network

Is the Wi-Fi network that you use in the enterprise secure enough? If not, then, you should definitely lock it now. Because an ongoing technique referred to as “wardriving” is mainly used by cybercriminals to exploit the Wi-Fi network.
Once they identify a vulnerable Wi-Fi hotspot, they make sure they have entered those wireless networks and extracted the data.
And, the best defense against wardriving should be by implementing encrypted traffic using the latest encryption technologies. Additionally, you have to set a unique password that can be easily accessed. There is an additional step that you can definitely opt for — create a “guest” account for your client/customer, and that’s it!

 

2) Increase the Protection Level of Payment Processors

Certain small enterprises have equipped mobile applications for the convenience of customers. Through these apps, accessing and making payment procedures have become extremely possible for a certain amount of customers who prefer indulging in online shopping. So, make sure you have secured the payment software.
And, always make sure, you have limited in-house access to your card data. Customers also indeed to properly analyze the payment terminals to avoid data breach incidents.

 

 

3) Enhance the Email Security

Nearly most of the malicious email attachments directly come through the office files.
So, it becomes important to avail of basic email safety precautions. The first step that needs to be performed is a rigorous employee training plan where they will be taught not to open any suspicious files, links, or emails that do not cover the enterprise activity.
Both the sender and the recipient should encrypt their sent documents that can be only accessed through a one-time passcode.

 

4) Opt for a Cybersecurity Plan

Well, apart from implementing a cybersecurity plan, it is also required to acknowledge what actually needs to be added to that plan, including security policies. First and foremost, to keep an employee training program and an incident response plan that will be highly effective to protect the business image. These training programs must be conducted on a yearly, monthly, and weekly basis to identify potential security breach scenarios. Security policies are essential components of any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy.

Also, you need to include the required security policy and procedures to secure the enterprise network.

 

5) Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA is one of the key factors as a good cyber security protocol for two-step verification and safeguards data and information with special controls with VPNs.

This secures that any device authorization check is added as a part of the VPN connectivity. The MFA should also be expanded to a few applications with another layer of applications. Prefer VPN connections at any point in time, especially with sensitive data.

 

6) Look for HTTPS on websites

Firstly, utilize HTTPS on your website. Next, inspect links before clicking, engaging solutions which could identify data leakages like source code leak, and credentials leak on spam websites or random websites.

In this situation, it is best to increase the frequency of privilege account audits and clean up or scan data immediately upon identification.

 

7) Refrain from public networks

Well, it should be a priority to use secure means of communication. Exposing to public networks is a risky move even if it’s related to work or personal information.

Any interaction or communication related to work needs to be connected with secured-enabled tools or other secure modes of communication.

Avoid using freeware for any video conferring or presentation, or data sharing when it comes to corporate information exchange.  Do invest in security upgrades, it is the best protocol.

 

 

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cybersecurity

These are some of the best cybersecurity practices that as a small enterprise owner you think of implementing. Alongside this, there are other wide ranges of security measures that will eventually bring a plethora of benefits to your unprotected organization.

These include using a firewall and antivirus software, choosing multi-factor authentication, backing up the data regularly, investing in the right security technology, and also don’t forget to stay up-to-date.

So, choosing the best defence mechanics is as crucial as choosing the kind of product/services you are going to provide to your customers. Stay protected and spread cybersecurity awareness to secure the business.

 

Enhance Your Cybersecurity Practices: Your Next Steps

Ready to boost your cybersecurity practices? Continuous learning is the path to staying competitive, building confidence, fostering innovation, and unlocking new career opportunities.
Consider Sprintzeal for specialized cybersecurity courses:

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP): Master the skills needed to protect organizations from cyber threats.

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM): Enhance your abilities in managing and governing an organization's information security.

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA): Validate your ability to assess an organization's IT and business systems.

Sprintzeal offers a wide range of cybersecurity courses that cover crucial topics, methodologies, and best practices. These courses are designed to empower you to excel in your cybersecurity role and safeguard your organization against evolving threats. Take the next step in your cybersecurity journey with Sprintzeal.

 

Final Thoughts

Cybersecurity practices are one of the important aspects of the amount of growing cyber threats. Each minute, these new threats are hard to deny, and overcoming them is challenging. Victimized organizations associated encountered to these attacks occur every 30 seconds.

This is why gaining the cybersecurity certification and training by Sprintzeal helps you identify the suitable options to keep your career on track.

To know about the best cybersecurity courses, reach us at Click Here or chat with our course expert to get instant support finding the cybersecurity training that fits your career interests.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are examples of security protocols?

Examples of cybersecurity protocols include SSL/TLS, IPsec, SSH, and Zero Trust. These protocols are vital for securing digital communications, protecting data integrity, and ensuring privacy.
 
What are the 5 types of cybersecurity?

The five primary types of cybersecurity are network security, application security, information security, operational security, and disaster recovery. Each type serves a distinct role in safeguarding digital assets and mitigating risks.
 
What are the 5 layers of cybersecurity?

The five layers of cybersecurity encompass application, information, network, system, and physical security. These layers work cohesively to protect against cyber threats, creating a robust defense strategy.
 
What is communication protocols in cybersecurity?

Communication protocols in cybersecurity are sets of rules governing secure data transmission over networks. These protocols ensure that data is shielded from unauthorized access or tampering during transit, a crucial aspect of cybersecurity.
 

What are the 5 best methods used for cyber security?

The methods to cyber security protocols are plenty and below are the best cyber security measures in use,

Daily backups

Put up a firewall

Use security software

Multi-factor authentication

Patch applications and operating systems

Application hardening and whitelisting

Restrict admin privileges