It’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month but in truth, recognition of this growing hazard should take precedence every day. South Africa experiences the third highest number of cybercrime attacks in the world, suffering 577 malware attacks every hour. Companies need to intensify their defence strategies. Unfortunately, with most of the attacks focussed on employees, a company’s mitigation protocols are only as strong as their ‘weakest’ link.

Here are our top 10 cyber security tips to protect your business and your remote workforce from the digital age’s biggest threat!

Cyber Security Tips for Businesses

1. Create and implement a cyber security strategy for in-house and remote-working employees

Defend your data assets and networks by obtaining the answers for the following questions:

1. Who has access to it?
2. How can our data-assets be compromised?
3. What steps can we take to prevent an attack?
4. What steps can be taken in the event of a successful attack?

2. Train employees regularly & review their online security awareness

Cyber criminals are creative and therefore the type of attacks are continuously evolving in order to succeed. All it takes is one careless click from an unsuspecting employee that can send your entire security barrier crumbling. Cyber security training should be an on-going approach, and testing your employees' knowledge is paramount.

3. Appoint a security officer to take the lead

For any strategy to succeed you need someone with the skill set to run with it. This person will be involved in all aspects of your business’ cyber security, ensuring that employees are well trained and informed about every potential threat.

4. Create best practice policies

Make cyber security protocol a legal policy! This way you can ensure your employees realise the seriousness of addressing their cyber security awareness and knowledge. They need to be able to always act responsibly when accessing corporate networks and using corporate equipment at the office or at home.

5. Install antivirus software on corporate equipment

Ensure that all your employees have company-specified Antivirus software installed on their corporate equipment, whether at the office or at home. Send out reminders to employees to run the updates when they become available.

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Cyber Security Tips for Employees Working from Home (WFH)

1. Create strong passwords

Sloppy password etiquette is behind the majority of cyber attacks. According to a LastPass research study, which looked at the password behaviour of 3750 professionals in seven countries, 68% of people reused existing passwords out of the fear that they might forget them, and 35% did not see themselves as a target that hackers would be interested in.

IMPORTANT: Create strong, unique and nonsensical passwords and activate multi-factor authentication.

2.  Corporate equipment is for employee use only

Staff may ask; What’s the harm in allowing a teenager access to a work laptop for a school project? Or letting a spouse check his/her emails quickly?

It must be made very clear to them that – first off, it is against company policy, and secondly, the members of their household did not receive the same cybersecurity training that they did, and they could be putting the entire company at risk.

3. Secure home WiFi router passwords

Home WiFi routers often come with a preset password, which households use without thinking twice about. Or, in order to make it more memorable, families choose a simple password everyone will remember.

Are your staff aware that hackers’ can obtain access to their computers through their routers? They must make sure their WiFi router has a strong, unique password.

4. Run software and web application updates

Web developers create updates in order to patch errors and remove any security vulnerabilities, with the goal being to improve the overall functionality of the software or app. Outdated web applications (social media, web email, WordPress etc.) and software programs (antivirus, Windows & Mac OS, etc), including outdated plugins, open one up to risk. Ensure that your staff run all updates the moment they become available.

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5. Don’t use public WiFi for work

Working from home often includes a trip to the local coffee shop to get away from the house for a bit and to gain inspiration from the different energy found there. Staff must not be tempted to use the public WiFi, as it is just too risky.

Domains.co.za’s is a local domain name and website hosting company that specialises in providing small to medium enterprises with the tools to get online quickly, affordably and securely.

Chantel Venter

Chantél Venter is a creative writer, strategic thinker, and a serious gesticulator. She’s passionate about storytelling, small businesses and bringing color to the world ­– be it through her words or wardrobe.

She holds a four-year degree in Business and Mass Media Communication and Journalism. She’s been a copywriter and editor for the technology, insurance and architecture industries since 2007 and believes anybody can run a small business successfully. She therefore enjoys finding and sharing the best and most practical tips for this purpose.