When it comes to cyber security, it appears the world is changing on a weekly basis. There are so many new cyber security threats popping up, which means companies must take new measures to ensure all their data and systems are safe. Aside from speaking with businesses who offer IT support packages in London, companies should make sure they are aware of the IT security challenges they face in the coming weeks and months. Here is a look at some of the best IT security lessons we learned over the past year, and how it can prepare us for the future.

No Company is Safe

It may sound like a cliché, but companies must stop thinking of themselves as the exception. Every day, we hear a new story about a company that was hacked in the recent present or past. But, instead of reacting to these stories by bolstering their own defenses, so many companies take the view that they are the exception – and something like that would never happen to them. In reality, it could happen to any company that does not take IT security seriously. Every business must have a layer of defenses in place to ensure their business and customer data is safe.

Smarter Attackers

Even though companies are getting better at enacting IT security defenses, and they partner with very capable security providers, attackers are also getting smarter. Even as we look at something as simple as a phishing email, these emails are getting a lot more sophisticated than they were in the past. Even internet savvy individuals or executives are getting tricked by phishing emails, which is why companies must remain on alert at all times. It is impossible to know when an attacker is targeting your company, or individuals within your company, and constant vigilance is the only appropriate reaction.

Attacks Come from Inside and Outside

Even though most attacks on companies occur when they are hacked in some way, shape or form, it does not mean their internal security systems are always watertight. There are many cases of employees accidentally leaving the door open, as they are not properly educated about the safety procedures they must take while using social media, running the company’s websites or using the internet in the office. It is also very important to ensure employees only have those database privileges they need. Lower level employees having unnecessarily high privileges is always a mistake.

Two-Factor Authorization and Password Protection

Companies need to start taking password protection more seriously. And they also need to incorporate two-factor authorization wherever possible. Two-factor authorization works by adding two methods of identification whenever a person is logging into an account. For instance, you are asked to add your password, while you would also get a code that is sent to your email address or mobile phone that you must enter immediately. And where passwords are concerned, companies must push their employees to create strong passwords, and change those passwords every few months. Being proactive is better than being hacked!

The above article pertains to security measures that companies need to incorporate. Cyber security is an aspect that affects all businesses small or large as most business ventures have their functions and data online. The main aspects of cyber security are discussed above such as ensuring protection of data even when IT support services are outsourced. Also, aspects such as providing access to different categories of employees can undermine security from the inside which are discussed in this article besides acknowledging how hacking activity is on the rise on the outside as well.

For those who are concerned about cyber security for their business, it makes sense to have support personnel working for protection of networks and systems. Proper training such as CISA Certification & training is vital for such personnel to stay updated on the latest trends and techniques of cyber security measures. This pertains to IT support personnel as well who might be working through an outsourced vendor contract agreement.