In the 2022 financial year the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) received over 76,000 cybercrime reports with one received every 7 minutes – an increase of almost 13% from the previous year.
With cybercrime continuing to rise, it’s never been more important to take action and improve your defences against online threats. In this article, we’ll share some essential steps you can take to help prevent cybersecurity incidents.
Prevent cyber attacks with the following steps:
1. Keep your device updated
Cybercriminals are constantly hunting for new vulnerabilities and ways to hack into systems. To counter this, developers continuously release new patches taking immediate action to ensure any unexpected or new vulnerabilities within their programs are swiftly rectified. Because of this, it’s incredibly important to keep your devices updated to access the latest protection.
The update process may vary slightly between different operating systems (such as Windows and MacOS, or Apple and Samsung) however most offer automatic updates which we recommend enabling.
2. Backup your data
Backing up your data ensures it can be recovered if it becomes lost, stolen, or damaged. This involves saving a copy of your data onto an external storage device or to the cloud at periodic intervals such as daily, weekly, or monthly. How regularly you choose to back up your data may be dependent on how often changes are made, or the nature of the information.
3. Use strong passwords
Creating unique and strong passwords is essential to keep your accounts secure. In general, your passwords should never include your name or any other personal data (such as your birthday). Commonly used phrases such as ‘password’, ‘123456’, or ‘p@ssword1’ should also be avoided. Strong passwords should be long (at least 12-14 characters) and contain a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters.
In addition to this, you should use different passwords for each of your accounts. This ensures that even if one of your passwords has been compromised, the other accounts will remain secure.
4. Enable Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security for your accounts. It enforces a multi-step login process where the user must provide their password plus additional information. This could include entering a code sent to your email address or phone number, or approving a prompt on a mobile authentication app.
Enabling multi-factor authentication protects against threats such as phishing, brute-force attacks, and social engineering. It also protects against attackers who may be exploiting weak or stolen credentials.
5. Secure your device
Physically securing your device is important to protect against attackers aiming to damage or steal assets – this includes both external and insider threats. Gaining physical access to a device can also result in attackers installing malware or creating remote access ports on the network.
To help keep your devices secure you should store them in a physically safe location to prevent unauthorised access, always ensure you lock your device when you’re not using it, and set up a password, code, or biometric requirement such as fingerprint scanning.
6. Stay informed
Almost 90% of cyber-attacks succeed due to human error, making proactive education and awareness key factors in preventing cybersecurity incidents. As hackers continuously develop new tactics and techniques, it’s critical to receive ongoing and up-to-date information so you’re equipped with the best knowledge to identify and avoid online threats. At Ever Nimble, our CAT (Cyber Awareness Training) platform provides an easy-to-follow program that can evaluate your staff’s cyber awareness knowledge and provide extensive risk reporting. In addition, the CAT platform delivers relevant and comprehensive training via video lessons, phishing simulations, and more.
How Ever Nimble can help
The steps above are critical actions we can take as individuals to prevent cybersecurity incidents.
Businesses have complex security requirements such as cybersecurity monitoring and management, which can include virus and spam blocking, intrusion detection, firewalls, and VPN management.
As an MSSP (Managed Security Service Provider) we can provide comprehensive support with our expert Cyber Security services.
When you work with our award-winning team of experts, your business benefits from:
- A large and dedicated Cyber Response team backed by a 24/7 Security Operations Centre with engineers around the world.
- Realtime vulnerability scanning with cyber-focused automation and a rapid response capability.
- Compliance and risk management with a GRC platform and experts to guide you through the process.
- Cyber Awareness Training that is trackable, mandatory, and makes a difference.
- Network security that goes beyond the firewall with dedicated hardware to analyse all internal and external traffic.
- World-leading MSSP software partners such as CrowdStrike, Fortinet, and Datto.
Ready to put a stop to cybersecurity incidents in your business and access expert support? Learn more about how we can strengthen your business’ security posture here, or get in touch with our friendly team here or on +61 8 6381 6900.
