We do not see media reports of companies thwarting a hacking attempt, but we do see them when that same company experiences a breach in their data. Due to this, we might get the notion that the security of these companies isn’t reliable or there are not any precautionary measures in place to prevent cyber threats. Even a company having a strong security network can be attacked and the culprits just happen to reside within the company.
Those offenders are your employee’s laptops and their connectivity to the network.
Start with the hardware
It might be thought that the laptops can be only secured by using some sort of software. While this is true, it’s only in the case where your employees follow the procedures stipulated by you… which (and let’s be honest) rarely occurs.
They connect their laptops with public hotspots; they follow the links that are sent to them through their emails, and click on the attachments sent to them; they visit unauthorized websites, and they use cloud software or their own devices.
As you can see, securing laptops or devices on the software level does not suffice because of human error. You would have to think about incorporating hardware means to provide ample security. Companies or enterprises around the world understand this simple fact, and according to IDC, nearly 90% of them would transition towards using hardware security rather than software.
What hardware security options do you have?
1. Encryption
Encryption of the data means less sleepless nights for you if any of the laptops got stolen, lost, or hacked. However, that would only work when the encryption requires frequent password changes, and if possible, two-step verification systems are applied.
2. OEM-based security
If you’re looking for laptop or device replacements, do look for the built-in hardware security that it comes with, in doing so. It could be:
- Drivers that can self-encrypt
- Authentication in terms of prebooting
- Remote data control capabilities
- Self-identifying and self-solving BIOS
Don’t give up on the software front
Although better hardware protection is advisable, that doesn’t mean you should forget about making yourself strong on the software front.
1. VPN
Make it mandatory for your employees to use VPN when they are accessing the internet through their devices. That VPN should encrypt data to and from their devices and it should be easy to use even if they are connecting to external public WiFi hotspots.
2. Antivirus
Do not let any employee use laptop without having a viable antivirus software installed. The antivirus software should be tailored to fit your organization and workflow.
3. Don’t rely on firewall
While firewalls do offer a level of protection, they aren’t sufficient in fending off all the Trojan-like attacks. Therefore, don’t rely solely on your firewall and invest in additional protective measures. We can help identify which one is best for your business.
4. Keep all software updated
You need to keep every software application you and your employees use patched and updated. The best practice to keep those software on automatic update and enable Nymbus to perform routine patching that eliminates vulnerabilities.
Start Backing up
Bad days don’t come ringing the bell. Therefore, you should be prepared even if you’re bad day arrives by backing up all of your data. By doing so, any data breach would not hurt you as much as avoiding this and having a complete disaster recovery and business continuity plan is par for the course, now-a-days.
As always, Nymbus can provide advice on the best hardware and software security solutions that fit your organization.