Key Takeaways

1. Preventing cyber attacks requires multiple strategies, including regularly backing up data, using strong passwords and many more.

2. Regular training helps staff recognize cybercrime threats like phishing and equips them with clear protocols to follow during a potential breach due to malicious software. 

3. I.S. Partners offers a suite of compliance attestations, auditing, and cybersecurity services tailored to protect service organizations (e.g., SOC, NIST, GDPR, and others).

Best Practices on How to Prevent Cybersecurity Attacks

Preventing cyber attacks is no small feat as it involves a combination of best practices, awareness, and implementation of tools. 

For instance, if your online account password is easy to guess, it doesn’t take much technical skill for someone to break in. If an attacker has a bit more know-how, they can even use tools that are just sitting there online, waiting to be used.

Now, that’s dangerous. Here are some ways to prevent cyber or ransomware attacks:

1. Train Your Employees on Cybersecurity

The National Institute of Standards and Technology states, “Organizations should assume that malicious parties will gain control of telework client devices and attempt to recover sensitive data from them or leverage the devices to gain access to the enterprise network.” Reports show that 95% of cybersecurity issues happen because of human mistakes and a hacker attacks every 39 seconds!

To start training, create a clear cybersecurity policy for everyone in the company. Make sure it’s written down and shared with all new employees. Here is what you can do:

  • Start with a Cybersecurity Needs Assessment. Figure out what specific threats and knowledge gaps your company has. This helps you understand what to focus on in your training.
  • Pick or Create a Training Program. Choose or build a training program that covers the essentials like phishing, passwords, encryption, and so on. Make sure it fits your company’s needs.
  • Make Cybersecurity Training a Must. Everyone should complete the training—new hires should do it within the first month, and everyone else needs refresher courses regularly.
  • Run Real-Life Scenarios and Simulations. Simulate phishing attacks, DDoS attacks, social engineering attacks, or service attacks or other threats to give employees hands-on practice in spotting and responding to them.
  • Keep Education Going with Ongoing Updates. Cyber threats are always evolving, so make sure to send out regular updates on new risks and best practices.
  • Create a Culture of Cybersecurity Awareness. Make cybersecurity everyone’s job, not just the IT department’s. Get people talking about it, and make it part of your company’s culture.
  • Set Clear Security Policies and Procedures. Have solid, easy-to-follow policies in place, and make sure everyone knows what’s expected when it comes to security.

Moreover,  employees need to know what steps to take if there’s ever a personal data breach. This includes reporting anything suspicious, changing passwords regularly, and keeping software up to date.

Make sure these guidelines are easy to understand and often communicated so everyone knows how to help keep the company safe.

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2. Backup Your Data

Backing up your critical data means saving it in a separate, secure location so you can retrieve it when needed. It’s important to back up your information not just in case your device is stolen or damaged but also for key cybersecurity reasons.

If your device becomes infected with malware or a virus and is rendered unusable, having a backup means you can quickly recover all your important files. 

If your antivirus software can’t fix the issue and you have to clean your hard drive, your backup ensures you won’t lose vital documents, like financial records or important emails.

In this case, The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy significantly increases the chances that your data is safely duplicated and easily recoverable. Here’s how it works:

  • Three copies of your data. This includes your original and two backups, so you still have the others if one gets corrupted or lost.
  • Two different storage types. This helps protect against failures that might happen with a specific storage option.
  • One copy is stored off-site. Keeping one backup away from your home or business protects your data in case of a disaster that could damage your property.

3. Invest in Password Management

Passwords are critical for keeping your online accounts safe, but a lot of us don’t feel confident about them. In fact, research shows that less than half of Americans think their passwords are secure.

Check your password here – https://howsecureismypassword.net/. If that sounds familiar, it’s definitely time to strengthen your passwords. Here’s how to do it:

  • Go for length. Aim for passwords that are at least 12 characters long—16 or more is even better. You might be surprised to learn that nearly half of people use passwords of eight characters or less. That’s just not secure enough!
  • Get creative. Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. The more variety, the tougher it is for someone to guess.
  • Ditch the personal info. Don’t include easily guessed info like your birthday or your pet’s name. Hackers can dig up this info online, so keep it private!
  • Avoid patterns. Skip using sequences like ABCD or 1234, and definitely don’t go for obvious choices like “password.” You want to make it as tricky as possible.
  • One password per account. Make sure each of your accounts has a unique password. This way, if one gets hacked, your other accounts stay safe.

To make this easier, consider using a password manager. It’s a handy tool for your operating system that can help you create and store strong passwords without the hassle. 

4. Conduct Penetration Tests

Penetration testing, or “pen testing,” is a controlled cyber-attack where ethical hackers test your company’s security to find weaknesses before the cybercriminals do.

Through simulating real-world attacks, pen testers can identify security flaws, and false system updates and fix them before criminals exploit them.

At I.S. Partners, we specialize in penetration testing to help you strengthen your digital defenses and meet essential compliance requirements. We offer three main types of pen tests for cyber attack prevention:

  • External Penetration Testing. Our external penetration testing checks your company’s security from the outside, looking for weaknesses hackers could exploit. This helps ensure your security information is solid and compliant with regulations.
  • Internal Penetration Testing. We also test your internal network, where vulnerabilities may be hidden. Our cybersecurity experts will help you identify security gaps and create strategies to fix them, minimizing risks within your organization.
  • Web Application Scanning. Our web application scanning services help protect your information technology and online services from malware attacks.

5. Implement Network Segmentation and Apply Firewalls

Network segmentation organizes your IT assets, intellectual property, data, and personnel into specific groups and controls who can access them. When you separate resources within your network, you can protect your entire system.

But if that’s not feasible, using firewalls is a great option. A firewall can be a security software program or a hardware device that filters the traffic coming in and out between different parts of your network or between your network and the Internet.

Here’s how you can implement both:

  • Assess Your Current Network. Review your existing network to identify areas that need segmentation.
  • Define Network Segments. Break the network into smaller, isolated segments based on security needs.
  • Choose Firewall Solutions. Select appropriate firewalls that meet your security and performance requirements.
  • Implement Firewalls Between Segments. Place firewalls to control traffic and enforce security policies between segments.
  • Apply Access Control Policies. Set rules for which users or mobile devices can access each network segment.
  • Control Policies. Set rules for which users or devices can access each network segment.
  • Monitor Traffic and Performance. Continuously monitor traffic and firewall logs for potential security issues.

6. Implement Role Based Access Controls

Role-based access control (RBAC) is an intelligent way to manage who can do what within your application. It’s built around specific roles, each with its own set of permissions. When users are assigned to these roles, the actions they can take are determined.

For example, if an HR employee falls victim to phishing emails, they can’t access sensitive information from the finance department. This means that malicious actions on a single account are contained and can’t easily spread to other parts of the system.

To make sure RBAC is effective and follows cybersecurity compliance, follow these three important rules:

  • Role Assignment. A user can only perform actions if assigned a specific role.
  • Role Authorization. The user’s active role must be approved and authorized.
  • Permission Authorization. A user can only execute actions that are authorized for their assigned role.

7. Engage Auditors for Regulatory Compliance

Regulatory compliance means following laws, regulations, and guidelines set by governments or industry bodies. 

For example, healthcare providers, insurance companies, and their vendors must comply with HIPAA, which includes provisions for cybersecurity and financial protection.

To find out which compliance requirements apply to you, work with auditors like I.S. Partners. Our team combines business risk expertise, IT resources, and security knowledge to provide a tailored compliance solution for your needs. 

We guide you through the entire process with expert support, whether you’re navigating HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR, NIST, or any other standard.

8. Perform Vulnerability and Patch Management

Vulnerability management and patching are critical components of cybersecurity that prevent known exploits from being leveraged by attackers. Regular vulnerability scans help identify security weaknesses in software and hardware, while timely patching ensures that these weaknesses are mitigated before they can be exploited.

Best practices for vulnerability and patch management include:

  • Conducting Regular Vulnerability Scans. Automated scanning tools can help detect weaknesses in your system.
  • Prioritizing Patches Based on Risk. Not all vulnerabilities pose the same level of risk. Apply patches strategically based on the severity and impact.
  • Automating Patch Deployment. Using centralized patch management tools ensures that all systems stay updated without manual intervention.
  • Testing Patches Before Deployment. Avoid system disruptions by testing patches in a controlled environment before rolling them out to production systems.
  • Monitoring for Emerging Vulnerabilities. Stay ahead of threats by keeping up with security advisories and industry reports.

FREE DOWNLOAD

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Prominent Cyber Attacks in the Security World

High-profile breaches continue to make headlines, and it’s clear that even the most secure organizations are vulnerable. Let’s explore some of the most significant cyberattacks that have rocked the national security world so far.

UK Military Faces Major Data Breach – May 2024

In May 2024, hackers breached the UK Ministry of Defence’s payroll system, exposing customer information of 270,000 military personnel, including names and bank details. The breach occurred through a third-party contractor, leading the Ministry to take the network offline and notify those affected.

Ticketmaster Breach – June 2024

In June 2024, Ticketmaster came under intense scrutiny after its parent company, Live Nation, revealed a significant data breach. 

Hackers, identifying themselves as ShinyHunters, claimed to have stolen personal information from 560 million customers and demanded a $500,000 ransom to prevent the sale of this data on the dark web. 

The breach exposed sensitive details and easy targets, including names, addresses, email addresses, usernames, and partial credit card information, putting many customers at risk.

MOVEit Transfer Data Breach – June 2023

In 2023, MOVEit Transfer, a widely used secure file transfer software, was targeted by a cyberattack from the Clop ransomware group. This breach impacted 94 million users and over 2,500 businesses. 

This exposed sensitive data and led to damages exceeding $10 billion and continuing to rise. Affected parties included both government agencies and private companies, highlighting the severe risks associated with network security.

Raise Your Cyber Defenses With I.S Partners 

Cyber threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace. Every day, new vulnerabilities emerge, and attackers grow more sophisticated in exploiting them. Ignoring cybersecurity isn’t just risky—it’s a direct threat to your business, your customers, and your reputation.

The good news? You don’t have to face these challenges alone.

At I.S. Partners, we help businesses like yours stay ahead of cyber risks with proactive security measures, expert-led assessments, and compliance solutions tailored to your needs. Our specialists handle everything from start to finish, ensuring a seamless, efficient process that strengthens your security posture.

We offer a full suite of cybersecurity and compliance services, including:

Vulnerability Assessments – Identify security gaps before attackers do.
Penetration Testing – Simulate real-world attacks to strengthen your defenses.
Security & Cybersecurity Assessments – Evaluate and enhance your overall security framework.

What Should You Do Next?

After learning the best practices against cyber attacks, the next step is to implement them. Follow these critical directions!

  1. Assess your risks. When was your last security assessment? If you’re unsure, now is the time to act. Start by conducting a thorough vulnerability scan.

  2. Implement proactive security measures. Strengthen your defenses before attackers strike. Create a defense plan to mitigate the identified risks.

  3. Contact I.S. Partners. Our team will help you navigate cybersecurity challenges and ensure your business stays protected. Trust our experts to identify risks and protect your business from cyber attacks.

Don’t wait for a breach to happen—take action today. Contact I.S. Partners to discuss your cybersecurity needs and secure your business.

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