Halloween is just around the corner and as we brace ourselves for the inevitable horde of trick or treaters to visit our homes, we're turning our thoughts to the ever present threat posed by cyber tricksters who are constantly pounding on our business doors looking for a way in. Here are 7 handy tips that will help keep your business safe from such threats.

1. Be wary of what you post on social media

If you're planning a vacation, party of something that doesn't need attention from  unwanted prying eyes, think carefully about what you post on your social media profiles and the audiences you broadcast your updates to. If you receive friend requests from people you don't know, don't accept them. Hackers build social profiles to get to know as much about you as possible.

2. Resist requests for money or bank detail changes

We see "money requests" coming through all the time, especially requests coming from someone masquerading as the MD of the business with the transfer marked as urgent, to be processed ASAP. Always put a quick phone call in to double check such requests - that call could be the vital step that stops you sending funds to a hacker and putting your company and job at risk.

3. Set up additional layers of security

Whenever possible, use a password management tools rather than using the same one or two passwords you can remember across all the different logins you routinely use. Sites and software that use Multifactor Authentication (aka Two Factor Authentication / 2FA) will significantly reduce a hacker's capability to access your account or compromise your devices.

4. Invest in comprehensive security solutions

These days, antivirus alone simply doesn't offer enough protection for a business. There's a plethora of other threats that need mitigating including malware, ransomware and phishing attacks to name just a few. Make sure you take time to research and understand the best security solution for your business and keep it constantly up to date with the latest updates and patches. Failing to patch is asking for trouble.

5. Beware of public Wifi hotspots

Unsecured, free public Wifi networks pose several security risks to users. Public Wifi networks are easy targets for malware distribution, malicious hotspots and man-in-the-middle attacks. They allow the movement of data without any form of encryption or security protection which means anyone can intercept and steal your data.

6. Upgrade your passwords

A lot of websites ask for passwords with a minimum of 8 characters but if you can add just 2 more, it exponentially increases the length of time it takes to hack them by many years.Lower case, upper case, numbers and special characters are a must. Don't just stick to text characters and simple words. If you can remember your password, it's probably not complex enough. Why not go one step further and use a password manager to manage passwords for you? 

7. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Be suspicious of people or situations where there is a large prize, benefit or other attractive incentive on offer without the need for you to do much, if anything in return. More often than not, such offers are not what they seem and you could end up losing out - a lot! Heed the old saying "There's no such thing as a free lunch!"

So, these are just a few tidbits to help you secure your operations, hopefully you've found them useful. If you'd like a more in-depth discussion on cybersecurity and safeguarding your organisation from the ever increasing deluge of complex threats, we'd love to hear from you. Get in touch with our security experts to learn more.