5 Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Your Business Likely Has

By now it should be clear that business owners must make cybersecurity a priority, yet too many businesses are not doing enough to protect their information, employees, and customers. That’s where cybersecurity vulnerabilities come into play. Employees are crucial when it comes to protecting your business from cyber threats. If they aren’t properly trained in the latest security measures, then you could end up with some serious vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. These are the 5 cybersecurity vulnerabilities your business likely has:

Believe it or not, this is one of the most common cybersecurity vulnerabilities that companies have, and it’s also one of the easiest to fix. If your business uses outdated software or Operating Systems (OS), then hackers can take advantage of known security flaws to access your company’s data. This includes any hardware in your business network, too. The best way to avoid this vulnerability is by keeping all devices up-to-date on OS patches and updates. Some businesses make their employees responsible for these updates when they are done with their regular job duties, but ideally someone in information technology should be tasked with ensuring all systems are patched before allowing them online again.

If you have a separate network for your business, then it’s crucial to take appropriate measures to protect this data. The best place to start is with your firewall system. If this is not configured properly or up-to-date, hackers can exploit this by easily getting around the security measures you’ve put in place. It’s also important to consider keeping sensitive information off of the cloud if you do not feel confident about its security measures.

Many businesses allow employees and customers access to their private wireless networks as a convenience measure. However, if these are unencrypted and unsecured, hackers can use tools that will automatically search out any unsecured WiFi networks and map them out so they know where to launch an attack.

Whether it’s laptops, phones, or tablets, employees who use any of these devices to access company data are putting your business at risk if they are not protected with strong passwords. If you have valuable information on all of your employees’ devices, then make sure that their Operating Systems are up-to-date and that they use strong passwords whenever possible.

No matter how secure your business is – no security measure can compare to having a well-educated IT staff and workforce when it comes to protecting valuable company data from cyber threats. Make sure all employees know about the latest security risks and how to avoid them before allowing any of them online with company data. It’s also a good idea to have employees sign an agreement stating that they will follow all security protocols when using company devices and systems. This can help protect your business in the event of a lawsuit.

Overall, making sure that you are taking all necessary precautions to protect your business is crucial to staying ahead of cyber threats. However, if you think your business might have these vulnerabilities in place, it’s likely because you need help with the information technology infrastructure in place for cybersecurity in general. Envision Consulting can help assess your business’ current needs and find solutions, so you don’t have to worry about vulnerabilities that could lead to hackers getting their hands on the valuable data you’ve spent so long developing.