It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and Microsoft is encouraging businesses to “be cyber smart” with an assortment of tips for everything from scam protection and password integrity.
There’s no denying that cybersecurity vitally important for every business. Unfortunately, few take it seriously enough, with 90% of businesses not ready for a major cyberattack to hit their business.
Subsequently, these helpful cybersecurity tips from Microsoft could make a big difference for your company, providing you with the bolstered security you need to fend off a data breach.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month Tips from Microsoft
Microsoft is always looking after its business users, from updating Microsoft Teams on a regular basis to providing helpful tips for better meetings. Now, if you want to shore up security at your business, you can follow these helpful tips for cybersecurity.
Password security
Passwords are the first obstacle for hackers when trying to access your accounts. Unfortunatey, the average user doesn’t take password security too seriously, with 85% of users admitting they use the same password for multiple accounts.
Considering the majority of security breaches are perpetrated due to poor password security, following theses password security tips from Microsoft could be the difference between a secure database and a shut down website.
Here are the tips provided by Microsoft to ensure you have good password security:
- Use your browser’s password generator to create stronger passwords.
- Avoid accessing personal and financial data using a public wireless network.
- Use a password manager or consider going passwordless.
Avoiding Scams
Cyberattacks are bad, but the reality is that a lot of security breaches happen because employees fall for tactics like phishing scams and ransomware attacks, leading to poor security. In fact, reports have shown that phishing attacks are rising at an exponential rate, so understanding how to spot and avoid them is key.
Fortunately, Microsoft has provided a few tips for avoiding scams and spotting phishing attacks, so you can keep your company data safe. Here they are:
- Be skeptical of unsolicited tech support calls or error messages requesting urgent action.
- Do not follow any prompts to download software from any third-party website.
- When in doubt, open a separate browser page and go directly to the company’s webpage.
- Check the sender’s email address for verifiable contact information. Common phishing tip-offs include a misspelled or unrelated sender address. If in doubt, do not reply. Instead, create a new email to respond.
- Don’t click on links or open email attachments unless you have verified the sender.
Device and Software Updates
Cybercriminals aren’t trying to hack into your actual office building; they’re trying to access the many devices and software that you use on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately, those tools are open to a wide range of hacks, particularly if you don’t performance routine maintenance on them to shore up security.
Here are a few tips from Microsoft to make sure that your business devices and software are as secure as possible.
- Enable the lock feature on all your mobile devices.
- Activate multifactor authentication on your sensitive apps and accounts.
- Run antivirus software and install system updates immediately.
How to Stay Secure Online
Microsoft is one of the leading companies in the world when it comes to business software and for good reason. It prides itself on frequently updating its many platforms and provides helpful tools, like Microsoft Teams, to get the job done.
Still, you aren’t going to be able to keep your business safe from security breaches and cyberattacks with Microsoft alone. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools out there that can help you protect your valuable company data.
VPNs are extremely helpful for keeping your business’ systems secure, particularly when your team features employees working from home. It can encrypt users’ traffic, making sure that they aren’t leaving your system open to attacks. Antivirus software can also help, as it will scan your many devices to ensure no malware has found its way into your system.
