The continuing trend of work-from-home culture has broadened the landscape of unmonitored and highly vulnerable devices that are freely being exposed to the internet. These devices could be computers and laptops, smartphones, smart TVs, and smart appliances, google home and Alexa, iPad, iPod, tablets, and gaming devices, and surveillance cameras and even routers.
Clearly, this long list of vulnerable devices highlight that the growing online security concerns aren’t being blown out of proportion. The widespread availability of such devices and the presence of unaware users make an explosive combination that has resulted in an uncontrollable increase in the number of phishing attacks and malware threats. Besides, it’s not just the increased use of these devices that has opened the window of web vulnerability, it’s also the sudden shift of many offline businesses on the online platform that has opened a Pandora box.
Whether it’s merchants or supply chain workers, every sector has been taking the brunt of hackers ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, this doesn’t mean that the damage cannot be prevented. It certainly can, if you adopt the following techniques to keep your assets safe.
1. Use Complex and Long Passwords
System passwords and social media account passwords are the first security filters that have to face hackers. If they’re weak, they hold no chance. Thus, making them strong is the first thing you need to do.
- Use unique symbols and numbers as a part of the password.
- The password should be 12-15 characters long.
- Use a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters.
That’s how a password becomes strong.
2. Protect the Password
A password can protect your devices only if it stays protected. So, keep in mind all the things listed below.
- Don’t share the password.
- Don’t repeat one password for all devices and accounts.
- Don’t store any password in unsecured files.
- Always use a password management application for storing passwords.
3. Use MFA Technique
If all your employees have MFA, the security of your organization will strengthen manifolds.
- A system using MFA has many security layers stacked one after the other.
- Backdoor password is the first entry point, but it’s not the only point.
- 2 or 3 additional layers of MFA have to be cleared to access the information in the system even after filling the correct password.
Which means, hackers will not be able to steal information in the systems of your employees so easily. Also, making the employees use VPN offers additional protection.
Conclusively, adopting these techniques simultaneously is much better than using just one single technique.
