October is here and autumn seems to be upon us… as soon will Halloween! Whilst we don’t want to alarm, cyber security remains front and centre of the agenda as these reports from the BBC and SkyNews continue to highlight. We therefore make no apology for focusing on some further hints to help protect yourself.
Managing vulnerabilities
However much care we might take, keeping on top of all the things we need to be doing to keep ourselves safe can be a challenge. Below we list some of the common cybersecurity issues you might be facing and actions to take:
- Outdated software: when updates are released they often include crucial security patches to fix vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit – make sure you are always up to date
- Weak passwords: these let criminals in so make sure you always use strong unique passwords and use a password manager
- Unsecured Wi-Fi: ensure your Wi-Fi is password-protected, your router uses WPA2 or WPA3 encryption for an added layer of security and consider using a VPN
- Lack of employee training: employee error causes most data breaches so keeping your staff regularly trained can help them recognise phishing emails, avoid suspicious website and make sure they are using secure file-sharing methods
- No data backups: make sure you are embracing the 3-2-1 rule so that if something does go wrong, you still have access to your data
- No Multi-Factor Authentication: MFA provides an extra layer of protection making it much harder for cyber attackers to breach your accounts
- Shadow IT: the use of unauthorized applications within your business can introduce hidden risks so make sure your systems are regularly audited to ensure compliance
- No incident response plan: if things do go wrong, having a BCDR plan in place will help you respond and recover more quickly so make sure you have one in place and it’s regularly tested and reviewed
Airplane mode – not just for flying?
As well as making sure you are compliant when flying, Airplane Mode can be a handy feature for your everyday life as it can have some additional benefits:
- Save precious battery life
- Boost your charging speed by as much as 4x
- Help you focus on the task at hand
- Keep overwhelming notifications at bay
- Save data and money by avoiding unnecessary roaming