Much of the new normal is here to stay – threats and solutions alike. Here’s what you need to know to keep your data and devices safe.
Remote work
As businesses are figuring out the best ways for employees to work from home, this trend might stay popular even after the pandemic is over. There are pros and cons to remote work, and each organization will determine what type of work best meets their goals. Remote work can be a great way to save money and time, but it also presents some major challenges that must be addressed. Implementing a security policy for employees can help mitigate some of the risks. Managing company devices remotely is also an effective way of keeping data secure – have the ability to track, lock, encrypt, reboot, and wipe company-owned devices for the best protection against data breaches and theft.
Data breach severity
Data breach reports are down in 2020, but the severity of those breaches is a huge concern. The lower reporting may simply be a result of the Covid-19 and a lack of diligence in breach reporting for organizations. Over 27 billion records were exposed in the first half of this year, even though significantly fewer reports were filled than during the same time last year. Besides the quantity of records exposed, other factors that contribute to the severity of a breach include types of data stolen and what caused the breach.
New cybersecurity threats
New threats are targeting physical data stores, through BIOS- and hardware-level attacks. Many businesses do not have sufficient security measures in place to deal with these increasingly numerous and complex attacks, so hardware security solutions are becoming a higher priority.
Old cybersecurity threats in higher quantity
Cybercriminals are still using the old tactics – phishing, ransomware, malware, sim-swapping, and other scams. These methods are becoming more frequent and more effective, often exploiting people’s fears or pretending to be a trusted source. Any emails that prey on your fears about Covid-19 should send up red flags. Scammers might also claim that a recent transaction went wrong, impersonate the company you work for, or ask for personal information through a form or log-in page.
Hardware security solutions
A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a physical security feature on most new computers. It provides security for your hard drive, only allowing access through a familiar machine.
A Hardware Security Module (HSM) is an external computing device used for encryption, digital signatures, and authentication.
DriveStrike is a security software that provides remote device management for all major platforms. DriveStrike enables administrators to keep track of all of their devices in one central console, with the ability to lock, locate, encrypt, reboot, and wipe devices that have been compromised. DriveStrike supports BitLocker encryption on Windows, and provides advanced configuration for Android, including setting security policies and managing apps allowed on devices.
Best practices
✓ Know what to look out for. Get cybersecurity training and train employees on the warning signs for phishing, sim-swapping, and other scams.
✓ Keep your information secure online. Have strong internet and firewall protections, and ensure there are no security gaps.
✓ Keep your devices and hard drives secure. Keep personal devices close to you or in a safe location, have multiple hardware protections in place, and have a way to remotely manage company devices.
✓ Use strong passwords and set up multi-factor authentication for all accounts that support it (use an authenticator rather than text to avoid sim card attacks).
✓ Don’t provide private data to unverified sources.
As long as cyber attacks and breaches are lucrative for criminals, they will continue to persist. With awareness of how and where these breaches happen, and with security measures protecting your data, your business can be prepared for old and new cybersecurity threats.
DriveStrike enables companies to remotely manage their data and devices. Locate devices, lock users out, and wipe all the data from missing devices to prevent a data breach. Manage BitLocker encryption for all of your company’s Windows computers, and create security and app policies for Android devices. Start using DriveStrike now with a free 30-day trial, and contact us if you have any questions about DriveStrike or data security in general – we are here to help you 24/7. Your security is our priority.