Regardless of the size of an organization, businesses need to be aware of cyber threats – and employees are often at the front line of a potential attack. It is understandable that small businesses may not be as well equipped as larger ones and it is showing in the number of businesses that are being attacked.

However, there are a number of easier to implement steps that businesses can take to help prevent them from being the next victim of a cyber-attack.

Five Ways to Protect your Business from Cyber Attacks:

1. Enforce Frequent Password Changes
   The first line of defence is a strong, hard to guess password. Make sure employees are required to change their password frequently and ensure there are a certain number of complexities to it (e.g., password length, includes numbers and symbols, etc.)
2. Require Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) to Login
   With a more remote workforce logging in from various locations, it’s critical that only authorized persons are accessing company programs and servers. MFA helps prevent hackers from getting in
3. Implement an Updated Cyber Training Program
   As we know, employees are often at the front lines of cyber threats. New threats and tactics are constantly popping up, meaning employee training needs to evolve to meet those new threats. Webinars can be a great place to start, but consider a more sophisticated and frequent program to refresh your employees on an ongoing basis
4. Clean up Old Information: Data, files, emails
   When paper files were the norm, it was important to have a routine to shred and remove private documents. The same is true with digital data. Delete old, unnecessary emails and files that are no longer required to be stored
5. Update and Patch Software and Servers
   Always ensure that your software is running the most up to date versions and that patches are applied to close off vulnerabilities. In today’s world, software vulnerabilities can be detected and exploited extremely quickly!  This means that your devices will need to have the latest patches and hotfixes as soon as possible

In 2023, most cyber insurers are requiring these steps to be met to even be cyber insurance eligible. A Staeber Insurance Broker is a great resource for additional information and can assist with risk mitigation on cyber security as well as getting the right cyber insurance quote for your business.

Learn more about becoming Cyber Insurance Ready.

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Staebler Insurance is a general insurance broker specializing in auto insurance, home insurance, small business, and commercial insurance. Staebler brokers proudly serve Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Stratford, Listowel, Fergus, Elora, Wellington County, Perth County, Waterloo Region and southern Ontario. Click here to get started.