Patricia Staino of Motley Fool interviews founder, Patrick Kelley, regarding the 8 vital practices for network security!
“In this remote-work world, it’s like wearing a mask,” says Patrick Kelley, CTO, Critical Path Security. “It’s a bit more trouble, but it will keep you safe. There is no downside to multi-factor authentication, and it is the top recommendation I have for SMBs.”
8 vital best practices for network security your small business needs:
- Hacker-proof passwords
- Virtual private network
- Spam filters and anti-virus software
- Multi-factor authentication
- Mobile device management
- Updated software
- Ongoing employee training
- Backup and a recovery plan
“Employee education is not a best practice — it’s a must practice,” says Kelley. “The problem with employee education is that it’s easy to forget. It’s hard to make time for it when you have deadlines, and it’s an ongoing process that must be revisited again and again.”
Key reminders should include:
- Review of your cybersecurity policy
- Only use work email for work communications: When an employee signs up for a third-party service with a company email and that service gets breached, it can mean trouble for your network.
- How to spot phishing emails: Communicate the latest bogus emails through your company newsletter or intranet between training sessions.
- Don’t overshare on social media. If a scammer has your pet’s name, school name, family member names, and birthday, they may gain insight into your security questions and be able to impersonate you.
- Don’t auto-forward work emails to your personal email address when you’re out of the office, and don’t use an automated “out of office” email reply.
- How to respond to ransomware attacks (immediately disconnecting from the internet and intranet)
- How to respond to a computer virus (don’t back up files until the virus has been removed)