With digital transformation, companies increasingly keep all their important information and documents on computers or stored in the cloud. It therefore becomes extremely important to ensure this data is protected against any possible cyber attack. Cybersecurity is a topic that is increasingly discussed and one of companies' top priorities, since it concerns the protection of information, which today represents a very high value for the organisation.

Cyber attacks exploit weaknesses in software and hardware, but they are also made easier because users generally do not recognise the warning signs or do not have enough training on the subject. One of the first measures every company should take is therefore to educate all employees about certain prevention and awareness habits they should follow to ensure the company's cybersecurity.

The National Cyber Security Centre in London has highlighted a number of measures that help to ensure information security in SMEs. These 5 measures are:

1. Back up all documents and information you do not want to lose. In addition, you should test whether this data can be restored, should it be necessary. This reduces the chances of information loss.
2. Ensure the security of smartphones and tablets. Because they are not always safely in the office, mobile phones and tablets are an added concern. They should therefore always have an access PIN and be configured so that they can be located if lost or stolen; installed apps should always be kept up to date, and they should not be connected to public wi-fi networks, especially when accessing sensitive information.
3. Prevent malware attacks by installing antivirus software on all computers connected to the organisation, not downloading from unknown sources, ensuring software is always up to date and controlling access to memory cards and USB pens.
4. Avoid phishing attacks. These attacks may be, for example, fake emails asking for sensitive information or containing links to websites that are not trustworthy. You should therefore ensure that no employee browses the internet or opens emails using accounts with administrator privileges, and passwords should be changed as soon as there is any suspicion that one of these attacks may have occurred. You should also pay attention to small signs, such as poorly written text or grammatical errors and low-quality logos, in other words, websites or emails that do not look trustworthy or that are trying to imitate an original site.
5. Use passwords to protect data. You should ensure that all mobile devices and computers are password protected and that passwords follow rules such as using special characters, upper and lower case letters and numbers. In addition, all passwords preset by systems should be changed.

Written by:
Openlimits

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