The 3 Basics of Cybersecurity

It’s interesting to think that it’s almost impossible to find a business or home now that doesn’t use the internet or some form of information technology when just a few short decades ago, it didn’t even exist. Now with advances in computing and threats that have come along with it, cybersecurity has become nearly as common.

Most homes and businesses know they need a few basic pieces of cybersecurity in order to protect themselves. In order to make sure you have everything you need, we want to remind you of some of the basics.

1. Firewalls

The first basic piece of cybersecurity that you need is a firewall. In the real world, a firewall is a partition that is set up to keep a fire from spreading in your business or home. In terms of your information technology, it’s the part of your computing system that is set up to block unauthorized users and communications from getting in, but allow authorized users and communications to go out. Firewalls are pretty common sense to have now and you should definitely have one if you don’t already.

75% of organizations encountered at least one cyberattack last year.

2. Antivirus

The second basic piece of cybersecurity that you should have is an antivirus. Most computers come with them already installed, but if you don’t have one or your system doesn’t have one, you need to get one. Antiviruses are programs designed to both detect and destroy viruses that your computer might come into contact with. It’s not enough to just have an antivirus on your computer either. In order to make sure they are effective and do their jobs, you have to keep your antivirus up to date. These updates come daily, weekly and pretty frequently if you have a good one. Updates mean that the company who created the antivirus has found something new to protect you from or has found easier ways to destroy older viruses.

If your antivirus doesn’t update or you choose not to update it, you leave your computing systems at risk of being damaged or permanently destroyed by a virus. Keep in mind that viruses are created almost every day by hackers who want to do nothing more than cause you harm, so it’s critical that you keep and maintain a good antivirus on your computer or computing system.

3. Reporting

The final basic piece of cybersecurity that you should have is good reporting. When you think about cybersecurity, you should think about it in a fluid conversational manner. You should know when there is a high risk of threat to your computer or there are weaknesses in your IT systems. Without reporting, you would have no idea the status of your systems, which would put you at high risk for being susceptible to an attack.

Have you ever seen an action movie where the main character says, “It’s quiet… a little too quiet”? That means they know something bad is going to happen and soon. Think about that when you consider reporting. When you don’t have this basic piece of cybersecurity, your business could find itself in serious IT trouble quickly.

Finally

In today’s high-tech business world, it’s common sense to have basic cybersecurity that includes firewalls, antivirus software and reporting. They are very easy to obtain and will keep you safe.

Contact AnchorSix today to learn more about cybersecurity.