There is no doubt that technology has made our life so much easier and convenient but it has also emerged as a gateway to the rising cyber-crimes. Cyber-crimes have evolved due to technological changes which have made them not only more advanced but also dangerous. Many big organizations have become the target of various types of cyberattacks that have caused serious loss of valuable data and also affect the operations of the business. Businesses are the most common target of hackers as they are well aware that every business has sensitive information and any loss of such information can cause serious damage to the business. There have been many cases where the business has to pay a hefty amount or even fails to survive a simple hack thus showing how these cyber-attacks impact the survival of the business. Thus every business whether big or small is under the constant threat of cyber-attacks and thereby businesses need strong protection against these attacks.

But what exactly is a cyber-attack? Cyber-attack is the intentional exploitation of the system or network. Various types of cyber-attacks are used for compromising the system. The prime motive behind such an attack is financial but there might be other reasons for the attacks such as spreading malware or stealing and damaging valuable data. Hackers today use different cyber-attacks such as malware attacks, Phishing attacks, ransomware, etc. to fulfill their motives. Thus it is not possible for a business to protect themselves from such attacks by relying on outdated protection practices. There is a need for solid prevention measures that will ensure that the business system is safeguarded against such attacks. The following tips will help to prevent or slow down the cyber-attacks. These include:

• Backup: Data is an integral part of any business and in the event of a cyber-attack loss of valuable data can put business survival at the stake by hindering its operations. Thus to avoid such a scenario, it is always recommended to backing up the data. This will ensure that essential data without which the business can’t survive is saved at any cost. Businesses must identify the data that are critical and thus back this away from the business IT system preferably on the cloud server. This will make it easier for the business to retrieve the data from anywhere and anytime. The business must follow a practice of daily backing up as it will give them the much-needed extra protection.
• Train Employee: The most common way through which hackers make their way to the business system is through the employee. This is done by hackers by sending illegitimate emails or links impersonating someone from the organization asking for login details or other credentials. This is one of the most easiest and convenient ways for hackers if your employees are not properly trained. It is thereby important for employees to properly check the email attachments before clicking them as they might contain malware. One must also check the email address to be sure that nothing is suspicious. Also using common sense is important in such cases as if something looks fishy the chances are it is and thus it is better to avoid opening such links or attachments. Thus with proper employee training about different cyber-attack and how to handle these, the business can prevent a major security breach from happening. The business can hire a professional team to impart such training to their employee.
• Anti-Virus Software: Countless malware is being released by hackers on the internet on daily basis. While some malware does not cause any subsequent damage to the business, there are still many that can very powerful and can completely damage the business system. The only way the business can be kept from such an attack is through the installation of anti-virus software. But business must install only the reputed software as it will deliver the maximum security to your system and data. Once the software is installed, it will turn up the firewalls, will ensure backup of your valuable data, and will also keep you updated about activities taking place on the system. It keeps check on the traffic on your business network and in case something suspicious is found to be happening, the software will not only inform you immediately but will also block unwanted traffic so that no harm is made to the business system. To ensure that business anti-virus software keeps on functioning properly, one must forget to keep it up to date.
• Multi-factor authentication: Multi-factor authentication is another important way that can prevent the business from cyber-attacks. Multi-factor authentication ensures that only the authorized person can access the required information thus ensuring there is no exposure of sensitive information in the wrong hands. Under multi-factor authentication, the individual is required to give more than one proof of their identity to access the system. This gives the business an extra layer of protection making it difficult for hackers to make their way into the business system and thus ensures that the business system is in no way compromised.
• Securing WIFI: Almost every business has enabled their WIFI network and this is where the real danger lies. This is because any device can be easily connected to your business network and thus poses threat to business security. The best way of avoiding such situation is to secure the WIFI networks and hide it so that it is no more accessible to every device. This will help in preventing the infected devices from harming the business network and system.
• Smart Passwords: Passwords are nothing sort of keys to your business system thus it only makes sense that one must be smart when deciding on the choice of the password. A good password can make it very challenging for hackers to get through the system. The first basic thing while selecting an apt password is to avoid a short password as it can be easily cracked. Long passwords with different characters will make it difficult to crack. One might also use a phrase or sentence as a password. Try setting a password that is hard to decipher for hackers.

Hence these are some of the important tips that can help businesses in preventing various cyber-attacks.