As businesses reopen, many precautions are being taken to stop the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks, social distancing, and frequent handwashing. Today, businesses of all sizes are at risk of computer viruses and the many forms of cyberattacks. Inc.com recently posted the following on why more than ever, small to medium size businesses, need to make cybersecurity a priority.

Most effective attacks originate in your email. Deploying a spam filtering service to reduce spam and phishing attacks is a great way to help mitigate cyberattacks. More importantly, training your employees on what to look for in illegitimate emails is the most effective way to prevent cyberattacks. As no cybersecurity system is completely infallible, it is important for employees to understand the impact an attack could have on the business and how to help prevent one from happening.

Protect the perimeter of your network and make sure a firewall is installed. It is important to note that a firewall is only effective if it is properly configured. As such, we recommend retaining either an internal or external service provider to perform penetration and vulnerability testing. One vulnerability that is often overlooked and left open is the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). This should be disabled and a Virtual Private Network (VPN) should be enabled and configured to provide safe and secure network access from off-site locations.

Secure your networks. Make sure your Wi-Fi passwords are strong and encrypted. Do not use open, unencrypted networks for company data. If you allow guests to access your network, we strongly encourage the development of a segregated guest network. This ensures total separation between guest and company traffic further protecting your data.

Control access to your information systems. Set up user profiles so only authorized users to have access to your systems and data. Create a password policy to ensure password strength, expiration, and lockout requirements. Consider setting a desktop lock policy to secure a user’s desktop after a specified idle time.

Ensure your organization has a plan to protect against cyberattacks. We recommend developing a plan should the unspeakable happen, such as ransomware. It is important to understand what information systems your business is using and the function they serve.

Have a network security assessment performed to establish a baseline and then start building your plans to protect your systems from a cyberattack. Call UTEC IT at 734.434.5900 or email UTEC IT Account Manager, Nick Gysel, at ngysel@utecit.com to arrange a time for your network security assessment today!