How Are Tech Experts Protecting Themselves Against Cybersecurity Threats?

Cybersecurity continues to be a big threat to the smooth operation of businesses, including those operating in the tech sphere. The Annual Data Breach Year-End Review by the Identity Theft Resource Center saw a 44.7% increase in the number of cyberattacks in a two-year period. During the COVID-19 pandemic, meanwhile, Deloitte has seen “a spike in phishing attacks, malspams, and ransomware attacks as attackers are using COVID-19 as bait to impersonate brands.”

Companies working in technology not only have important data to project but also their reputation. What high-tech means are they employing to ensure that cybercrimes do not interfere in their goals of establishing themselves as safe and reliable entities?

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Employing Hacker Tools

Tech companies and IT departments can mount a strong cyber defense strategy by employing the tools hackers do, such as Fiddler, Open SSH, and Nmap to identify vulnerabilities and undertake everything from password auditing to patch-level compliance across networks. These tools can be applied in industries where personal protection and data privacy is key — including healthcare, government security, and dating sites.

The latter can be particularly prone to attacks, as users often provide their private information freely. While it is clear that organizations can and should aid online daters to avoid cyber threats by controlling what data is available to other users, cybersecurity tools can take it a step beyond by identifying cybercriminals and cyber threats made to individual users.

Breach And Attack Software

Even within a tech department, classic mistakes such as failing to encrypt or set secure passwords can occur. In order to keep members of the team vigilant with respect to new threats, breach and attack software can be invaluable. Software such as Cymulate, Sophos Phish Threat, Bit Dam and other vulnerability management tools simulate attacks, thus testing staff’s ability to respond quickly and efficiently.

Investing In Cyber Security Insurance

In addition to creating security-focused work cultures, investing in hardware and software, and continually updating staff via training, tech-focused teams often add an extra layer of protection with cybersecurity insurance, so as to mitigate possible losses. The rate of cyber attacks remains high in many sectors, so any business that manages electronic data can benefit from insurance that covers everything from meeting extortion demands from ransomware attacks, right through to repairing compromised computer systems.

Restricting Network Administration Rights

It is important for only a small, identifiable group of employees to access passwords so as to minimize the occurrence of data breaches. Those who do have key information should be well trained on how to store and encrypt information.

Companies should tackle restrictions strategically in various steps. Firstly, they should identify tasks that require administrative privileges to be created. Next, they should create separate accounts for all those with privileges, ensuring that each has the minimum amount of information required to fulfill their roles. Finally, privileges should be revalidated periodically or when staff changes duties or leaves the company.

Cybersecurity threats put everyone at risk — from online daters to companies specializing in technology. Any organization dealing with sensitive data should take key steps to protect it. These include investing in hardware and software, training staff, investing in insurance, and restricting administration rights to sensitive data.

If you are interested in even more technology-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.

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