Businesses are constantly dealing with cybersecurity threats. The deployment of cloud, use of heterogenous & hybrid networks, and extensive use of technology, may have eased operations, but cybersecurity concerns loom large. Your company cannot afford to merely remain a spectator. Instead, being proactive and having a clear set of practices for ensuring cybersecurity is more than necessary. This is also about compliance to a large extent, given that rules & regulations are more complicated than ever. From creating a ban on using default passwords, to establishing an incident response plan, every step counts.
In this post, we are decoding more on how to keep networked assets and devices safe.
The basics
Every networked asset, including video surveillance systems and IP cameras, work as a computer. Hackers are constantly trying to find loopholes within the system, and sometimes, they don’t even need to do a lot, considering that businesses are not taking enough steps to ensure cybersecurity. A proactive stance, as we mentioned earlier, is necessary. You have to find ways to train your employees on matters of security, establish protocols on how to handle security of selected devices, and creating a system that’s easy to manage.
Reviewing the best steps
- First things first, all default usernames and passwords for networked devices should be changed immediately. It is also necessary to ensure that the new passwords are strong and secure.
- Strong passwords must be encouraged. A strong password is always long (at least 10 characters long), must have uppercase, lowercase letters and special characters, and should not include information that’s personal or related to a person/business.
- Whenever required, especially for critical assets, it is necessary to have multifactor authentication. Think of security questions, use of biometrics, creating trick questions, or asking for a second password.
- It is also important to review the need for lockout feature. If someone tries to use an invalid password, or tries password variations, to access an account or resource, it should get blocked immediately after a few specified attempts.
- Recommend a password manager to your employees, if they aren’t using one already. Make sure that you check for password managers that are safe, secure and have great reviews. It is practically impossible for people to remember as many as a dozen complicated passwords otherwise.
Check online now to find more on cybersecurity measures to protect networked assets, and ensure that your company has a predefined set of rules.
