According to statistics, approximately 2.9 billion identity records have already been exposed in 2019, consisting of 774 million unique email addresses and 21 million unique passwords, which have subsequently been posted on the internet for sale.

Despite how alarming this statistic is, many organisations remain exposed to potential cyber-thieves and hackers, by failing to implement even the simplest of cyber-security measures.

Having supported many public and private sector organisations with the implementation of effective cyber security strategies, we have found that there are three simple but effective changes all businesses can make to significantly increase their cyber security today:

TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION

It is now commonplace to have multiple layers of authentication when logging into your bank account, whether business or personal. Though this may be frustrating for some, it is a process that clearly works to protect against cyber-crime and should, therefore, be a strategy that is implemented into your business.

Whether logging in to work computers, email accounts, digital workspaces or confidential documentation, a way to significantly enhance cyber security is through the implementation of two-factor authentication, with a common example being an initial login password and secondary security question.

Though this is probably one of the easiest but most impactful changes a business can make, reports have revealed that 63% of businesses advised their employees won’t use multi-factor authentication, leaving them exposed to risk.

EFFECTIVE BACK-UP SOLUTION

The significant growth in businesses migrating to the cloud has aided flexible working, enabling organisations to collaborate without physically being located in the same office.

Yet, with this migration, so many organisations neglect the importance of implementing an effective back-up solution to ensure their documentation remains protected against any form of cyber security breech.

That said, there are a host of effective back-up solutions for cloud migration, but one of the most effective is utilising an I.T. provider who boasts their own servers, data-centre and cyber security measures to ensure maximum protection.

EDUCATE STAFF TO PROTECT AGAINST PHISHING

Some of the World’s latest data breaches have resulted from phishing emails, where organisation staff members simply couldn’t tell the different between legit or scamming correspondence.

One of the best ways in which to protect your business against phishing is to ensure your employees are provided with effective training. By investing time and money into educating staff members on cyber security risks and the potential impact any breach can have on their own personal data, not only enables them to understand the severity of phishing but will also ensure they are united in protecting the organisation in hand.

Advances in technology continue to drive a digital skills gap, where many employees are simply unaware as to how intelligent cyber-thieves and hackers have become. By taking the time to implement simple, but effective changes, businesses large and small will be able to significantly increase their cyber security measures.