Protecting your business from cyber security threats can seem overwhelming. Scammers and hackers are using more sophisticated ways to access your private information – meaning you have to stay on top of your online presence. However, many online scams can be thwarted with some simple steps you can implement at your business today. 

1. Make passwords strong and unique to each person and sign on.

Make your passwords as hard to crack as possible. Have your employees create secure passwords that are unique to them, different for each login site and hard to guess. Use uncommon word phrases, with a combination of letters, numbers and special characters between words to keep hackers out of your business systems.

You should also enable additional authentication tools like password managers and multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever available to help you avoid being a victim of cybercrime.  MFA enables online sites and systems to not only require a username and password but also further require the user to approve connecting from their personal mobile phone.

2. Don't know the sender? Don't open.

Educate your employees about the dangers of opening email attachments from unknown senders. This can be hard for employees who don’t want to miss something from a customer or a potential client, but the risks far outweigh the rewards.

Also, be wary of suspicious emails that look like they’re from someone you know. Double-check the email address to see if it matches exactly the one you have on file. If it doesn’t match, delete it.  Reach out to the person separately – don't hit reply.  This allows you to clarify if they’ve switched accounts or if it was a phishing attempt.

Midco provides spam and antivirus protection for your business Midco email addresses.

3. Update your systems and devices.

Every type of device you do business on needs to be updated as soon as fixes are available. This ensures your computer, phone and tablet all have the latest security and reduces your risk of being attacked or getting malware, like a virus or adware.

Don’t know the difference between malware and spyware? Learn more about viruses and how to better protect yourself.  

4. Scanning for malware

Installing antivirus software is a simple way to double down on your internet security. It might be an upfront cost, but it’ll be one that will save you big in the long run. Check with your local tech retailer who can give you recommendations based on your specific needs.

Midco offers protection from distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks for all its business internet customers. This guards you from malicious third-party attempts to overwhelm your system. See how this free security measure is essential to protecting your services. 

5. Protect the Wi-Fi

From clients to customers, if you have people visiting your office, setting up a guest network is an easy security measure you can take. This keeps your main network password private and allows you to give visitors a separate password you can change as needed.

Midco is working hard to help provide cyber security. For all our customers, we automatically offer protection against certain online scams, threats and attacks but encourage our customers to layer in additional security. The best defense against malicious activity is being an informed user. Share this article with your team to better protect your business today.