1/ Don’t spend anything! The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has plenty of free tools and advice, including this Small Business Guide and a check your cyber security tool.
2/ Do the basics. Patching plugs the gaps in your security software before hackers find and exploit them. This helpful blog by the NCSC explains why you should (and why it may be difficult).
3/ Consider the architecture of your security system. Does it make initial compromise or disruption of the system difficult, limit the damage and make detection easy?
4/ Exercise cybersecurity hygiene: train your employees to spot danger and minimize risk, remember to back up files, limit file access and use encryption. Oh, and deploy security software. Obviously.
5/ A virtual private network (VPN) is more secure than a public network. It’s an encrypted pathway between your devices and the wider Internet. It’s portable, too, as we covered in a previous blog.
6/ Take time to do the work. Whether it’s a patching exercise, backing up files, or researching the to-do list that keeps you safe, it’s quicker than trying to repair the damage after the event.
7/ Don’t assume anything. As we’ve discussed, it’s a false assumption that you’re not a target or too small to bother with. Just because you’ve not been hit doesn’t mean you won’t.
8/ Understand your vulnerabilities. The Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP) is a non-profit framework for software developers. It’s a big list of software’s collective Achilles heel.
9/ Do something. Whether you’re going to do it yourself, hire someone new, or delegate the tasks internally, inaction is not an option. The clock is ticking.
10/ Talk to Sprint. Cyber Security may seem a lot of hassle, and it is. Many of our customers prefer to outsource the responsibility and ongoing security to the experts. That’s us. Let’s talk.