In societies and economies where digitization is fundamental, cybersecurity and trust-building are critical issues, so providing companies (regardless of their size) or public entities with resources to ensure that their digital transformation takes place without potential threats is essential.
Therefore, investing in strengthening the resilience of digital infrastructures, as well as in security solutions, is a necessity to achieve better resources with which to mitigate risks.
For these reasons, cybersecurity is one of the most strategically relevant aspects for companies and public administrations and one of the main systemic risks that society has to face.
Cybersecurity at work
Why is cybersecurity so important in the business and work environment?
According to a Kaspersky report from 2022, almost two out of three SMEs around the planet (64% in particular) have suffered a cyber attack called ransomware, a kidnapping of documents and information released after payment of a financial ransom (often in bitcoins).
The same report warns that in the first quarter of 2021 there were 32,500,000 infections compared to 35,400,000 in the same period the following year.
Reasons to implement cybersecurity in the workplace
Given the magnitude of the reality of cybersecurity risks in the business environment, let’s take a look at some reasons why it is important to implement cybersecurity measures in work environments:
- Avoiding million-dollar losses. As we mentioned earlier, attacks can lead to ransom demands that could, in the worst case, even lead to the closure of the company.
- Competitiveness in the market increases if the company does not suffer attacks by demonstrating that it is prepared for digital transformation.
- Productivity is not lost by not having to paralyze the professional activity, which depending on the nature of the company or the sector can be particularly relevant.
- Protecting non-presence. Given the increase in teleworking and hybrid employment formats, it is even more necessary to bet on quality cloud software.
- Prevent theft of sensitive information from the organization (documents, data, images, etc.) and prevent them from taking control of the company’s data or supplanting those responsible.
- Comply with the GDPR. Companies are also legally obliged to secure and protect the data of customers, suppliers, etc.
5 tips to avoid risks and attacks
The reasons why it is so important to develop and maintain cybersecurity in the company we have just seen, but how can it be implemented?
Here are some tips with which companies can avoid risks and therefore reduce the chances of suffering attacks:
- Hire a good cloud computing service with guarantees, in addition to an antivirus. Likewise, have more than one backup copy of all sensitive information in the cloud, which is accessible and updated to be able to maintain the activity of the company in case of attack.
- To have a person dedicated to cybersecurity in the staff, understanding that there may be cases in which the size and budget do not allow it.
- Keeping computer equipment up to date. This premise to minimize risks is essential, since periodic software updates provide security patches to reduce vulnerability. An outdated computer is more likely to suffer attacks than one that is up to date.
- Enable multifactor authentication. It is advisable to add to the passwords another extra security element, such as a unique code that the user receives and that only he can know.
- Promoting the culture of cybersecurity in the workforce is also a good practice to increase the level of security, from raising awareness in the creation of secure passwords to reviewing the connection of networks through the protection of wifi. Linked to this idea, in view of the increase in teleworking, it is also necessary to offer specific protocols for it.
For the reasons previously analyzed, and with the help of these five tips to reduce the chances of suffering cyber-attacks, we hope to have raised awareness of the importance of increasing security and thus protecting digital infrastructures and services that can be critical for the proper functioning of companies.
