National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
IT support providers in LA focus on cybersecurity in October, as this is the month dedicated to the discipline. Perhaps, Halloween is the reason. A ghostly ghoul dresses up for fun much like ransomware dresses up as something which isn’t a threat to your operations. It’s sort of the inverse of Halloween, if you will.
When Halloween comes, a bunch of kids disguise themselves and say, “trick or treat!”. In the adult world, cybercriminal “monsters” dress up as “normal people” in terms of emails and websites, then offer you some kind of “treat” to reel you in, returning a “trick” for your trust. Oftentimes, ransomware is downloaded under false pretenses like an update, a security patch, or a video player for a website that offers free entertainment.
These are common anchor points ransomware purveyors use to gain access. To avoid getting tricked by these ghoulish digital criminals, you want to do a few things proactively. Consider these tips:
Initiate Software Updates Regularly
IT support providers in LA can help you incorporate regular software update protocols into forward operations. Patches are absolutely integral, and different programs will need to be updated in accordance with associated security and the needs of your business. You can manage this internally, but you’ll be better suited working with professional tech providers. You’ll get more exact updates more quickly, and in a reliable fashion less impacting to regular ops.
Ensure Proper Password Design
The longer, the better. You want passwords that are at minimum eight characters, include a number, include a capital letter, and a special character like “!” or “$”. Additionally, you need to change those passwords at least once a month, if not on a weekly basis. This requires password management; again an MSP can be ideal for simplicity and effectiveness here.
Multi-Factor Identification
If you are trying to log in, multi-factor identification would send a message to a phone, tablet, laptop, smartwatch, or other approved devices. This message would contain an additional code you’d need for access. Multi-factor authentication can help prevent hackers who’ve acquire login data from breaching.
Proper BDR
Backup and data recovery (BDR) should follow the 3-2-1 rule— three backups on at least two separate kinds of media, one backup is located off-site. MSPs can help initiate the most effective BDR.
Don’t Get Tricked This Halloween
An IT support provider in LA can help you initiate proper BDR, apply multi-factor authentication protocols, design the best passwords, and proactively update systems as necessary. It’s cybersecurity awareness month, so don’t get tricked. Contact us at Advanced Networks for more information!
