Boost Your Cyber Security On A Budget

Posted: 3rd October 2023

Despite the financial impact of a cyber attack on a business, many still avoid investing in their cyber security. Perhaps it feels like money spent on something that’s unlikely to happen but not investing only makes a business a bigger target.

Around a third of businesses have fallen victim to a cyber attack in the last 12 months.

Of course, if the budget simply isn’t there to invest perhaps there’s no choice. But what if we told you there are affordable ways for you to improve your cyber security?

5 ways to boost your cyber security on a budget

#1. Turn on Multi-Factor Authorisation on all systems

Once considered an inconvenience by users, Multi-Factor Authorisation (MFA) is now widely used in business and highly recommended.

Taking a layered approach to ensuring your data is cyber secure, MFA requires users to set a secure password and an additional security authorisation – such as a push code to another device. This means that even if a user’s password is compromised, a hacker will not be able to meet the additional access requirement.

Most apps and services will prompt you to activate MFA and of course you should – it’s completely free and analysis suggests it can reduce the risk of a data breach by 99%. If you’re not prompted to set up Multi-Factor Authorisation, head to your account security settings and make the change manually.

#2. Ensure your firewall is configured correctly

Even if your IT support provider set up your firewall, there’s no shame in asking them to double check the configuration is correct.

A misconfigured firewall can leave your infrastructure vulnerable and if breached, a hacker could gain access to network servers, application servers and virtual machines.

You’re already paying for support from your IT provider, so this is a free yet invaluable check to protect your business.

#3. Instil good password practice among your teams

Even with Multi-Factor Authorisation, it’s important not to neglect a strong password strategy.

A simple 10-character password of just numbers or letters can be cracked in under 24 hours. If this password is then used across multiple accounts as almost two-thirds of people do, a hacker can run riot on your data.

Using a secure password manager that can also generate complex passwords for you is the best way to ensure people in your organisation are password-clever. There are free password solutions available but it’s also worth looking at the added benefits you could get from a low subscription service.

#4. Don’t skip system updates

Software updates are free cyber security fixes! Yet, they can often be overlooked due to the time they take and that can be a hard habit to break.

But by scanning networks, hackers can identify outdated software and act on the vulnerabilities it creates – these types of exploits are quick wins for cyber criminals.

By encouraging your employees to set updates to run as they shut down their devices, they can avoid interruptions to their day. Alternatively, you could explore working with a Managed Service Provider who will support you with proactive patch management as well as your broader cyber security strategy.

#5. Increase cyber security awareness within your organisation

Approximately 90% of successful data breaches last year were caused by human error. This includes users falling victim to social engineering scams, accessing fake websites, and using unsecured WiFi to access business networks.

Despite this figure, the Government’s 2022 Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that just 17% of businesses support their employees with cyber security awareness training.

Cyber security threats are constantly changing and growing in sophistication. For this reason, we advise you to work with a cyber security specialist to deliver any training to your teams. This may come at a price, but studies suggest this investment can reduce the risk of a cyber attack by as much as 50% in the first 12 months.