Cybersecurity in companies

Cybersecurity in companies is a subject that is gaining greater interest from the public as we are more immersed in the Internet and we become more vulnerable to attacks.

Have you ever wondered what risks institutions are exposed to in terms of cybersecurity? Do you want to avoid the falsification of your data or confidential information in your company? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place.

In this note you will know everything you need about cybersecurity risks in companies, its advantages, disadvantages, the importance of investing in it and much more.

What is cybersecurity in companies?

According to the Cisco portal, cybersecurity in companies is the practice of protecting systems, networks and programs from digital attacks within an organization. In general, these attacks seek to access, modify or destroy information that is confidential to the company in order to extort money.

Today, SMBs must not only worry about taxes, they must also have a structure to handle suspected and attempted cyber-attacks so that they can further avoid falling victim to these attacks.

A successful business cybersecurity approach has multiple layers of protection spread across the computers, networks, programs, or data that the institution wants to keep safe.

In a company, people, processes and technology must complement each other to effectively create a cybersecurity system as a business priority.

What is the importance of cybersecurity in companies?

In the digital world we live in, both people and individuals benefit from advanced cyber defense programs. For this reason, it is important to apply cybersecurity tools in companies because an attack can generate catastrophic results.

Some examples are:

• Identity theft of company employees or senior managers
• Extortion attempt
• Loss of crucial information for the functioning of the institution

In summary, the advances in cybersecurity in companies are important because new and emerging threats are known, as well as cyberattack strategies. Its study allows the public to be educated and the use of the Internet to be safer for everyone.

Advantages of cybersecurity in companies

When investing in protection technologies, it is important to consider that the use of digital media within institutions is not so simple or harmless.

The advantages of promoting cybersecurity in companies are:

• Dealing with cyberthreats, both at a preventive and reactive level
• Avoid possible leaks of information and unauthorized access
• Prevent legal repercussions and penalties as a result of a hack
• Maintain a respectable image in front of customers 
• Disadvantages of cybersecurity in companies

On the other hand, although it is necessary for institutions to invest in the protection of their operating systems, there are some disadvantages to consider:

• It is necessary to hire personnel who are specialized in the matter to have adequate techniques and strategies
• Ensuring the protection of the company’s database requires high costs
• Without adequate advice, security breaches can be created in companies and, consequently, the operating system can be compromised.

What are the types of cybersecurity threats in companies?

Although there are currently many threats that threaten the cybersecurity of companies, these are the most common types:

1. Phishing

Phishing is the practice of sending fraudulent emails that resemble reputable or trusted emails.

The objective of this practice is to violate cybersecurity in the company by obtaining sensitive data such as credit card numbers, login information, among others.

To protect yourself from this practice, it is best to obtain a technological solution that filters malicious emails or educates your company regarding possible attacks.

2. Ransomware

This is another type of malware that is designed to demand sums of money by locking important files or the entire computer system until a ransom is paid.

However, paying this ransom does not guarantee that the system will be restored or the files will be recovered, so it is important that cybersecurity is promoted in the company to avoid this risk.

One way to protect yourself from this malicious software is by acquiring programs that prevent this type of threat in the operating system of your institution’s computers.

3. Malware

This software is designed to gain unauthorized access or cause irreparable damage to a computer.

This is one of the most damaging attacks, but also one of the most common, so it’s important to know how to attack it.

There are different applications that help prevent it and there is great availability of free tests on the internet that will allow you to know how they operate.

4. Social engineering

Social engineering is another corporate cybersecurity threat that adversaries use to trick users into revealing confidential information.

In this practice, monetary payments are requested to not access all confidential information or personal data.

Social engineering can be combined with any type of enterprise cybersecurity threat to predispose a user to click a link, download malware, or trust a malicious source.

10 keys to cybersecurity for companies

As a final point, here we present some of the tips that we recommend applying in your company’s cybersecurity policy.

• Risk management. It is recommended that the company be designated who will be responsible for managing cybersecurity.
• updated software. It is important to understand that it is not just a firewall and an antivirus that is renewed every year. It is a specialized system that would avoid putting your company at risk, so it requires research.
• Protected network. This must be protected from internal and external attacks. It should be checked if the Internet provider includes firewalls that control Internet access network connections.
• The importance of malware. It is recommended to have a complete business cybersecurity package that allows daily scanning for potential threats and is regularly updated
• User privileges. It is important to limit who enters where on an SMB system network, therefore privileges would be limited by the administrator.
• Control of removable devices. It is recommended that only CDs, DVDs, USB, SD cards or any type of flash memory provided by the system administrator be used.
• Monitoring of networks and services. There are tools that allow the analysis of traffic, use of IP, among others, which can help detect failures in the network.
• Sensitize the user. To the extent possible, it is necessary for all employees to apply the companies’ cybersecurity policies and also adapt them to the personal use they give to their social networks.
• Employee mobile devices. Make sure your phones are encrypted, have anti-malware, and can be tracked and formatted if lost or stolen.
• The business must continue despite the inconveniences. You should remember what to do and what not to do in case of an incident and anticipate possible scenarios before it happens.