Five Ways To Keep Your Business Safe From Cyber Attacks

It might seem like no one is safe anymore from malicious browser-based cyber-attacks. Even the U.S. Department of Labor announced this month that they too, suffered a malware attack through Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. But it’s not just the big businesses and organizations being targeted, according to the U.S. House Small Business Subcommittee on Health and Technology, about 20% of the cyber-attacks currently happening are impacting companies with less than 250 employees.

So how can a small business expect to keep themselves safe from these irritating and costly attacks? Is it as easy as simply changing your company’s browser?

Corey Nachreiner, CISSP and Director of Security Strategy from WatchGuard Technologies says the solution is a bit more complex than that. It’s about pairing a good browser with a few additional precautionary steps.

1.)   Update your browsers on a regular basis. These updates can be the first line of defense against a cyber-attack. Running out-of-date versions of browsers can increase the potential risks of a browser-based cyber attack.

2.)   Block active scripting like Javascript, ActiveX, Flash and Java. These programs can be dangerous if they run automatically.

3.)   Have your IT manager make a whitelist for sites that have risky programming languages. This will prevent a user from being able to visit a site that could potentially cause a cyber attack.

4.)   Don’t just update your browser, remember that Java, Flash, Shockwave and Reader require updates to prevent attacks as well. Some of these programs can even be set so that updates are automatically installed, but it’s a good practice to periodically check for updates as well.

5.)   Check for the acronym “HTTPS.” These letters at the top of the address bar paired with an image of a lock means it’s a protected connection.

Last but not least, choose a browser that makes securing your information a priority. Both Firefox and Google Chrome have launched recent updates that will address critical safety flaws found in previous versions of their browsers.