Are your employees ready to handle any potential security issues on their computer? There are many hackers out there who are trying to invade your network. By putting a security awareness program in place, you can make sure that everyone in the company understands the importance of computer security. Take a look at some ways you can implement a program at your business:

Talk to your team about security
One of the easiest ways to get your staff thinking about security is to talk to them about potential security issues. You can have lunch meetings where you review the finer points of network security or send out weekly emails covering important tips.

Provide guidelines and handbooks
In addition to having meetings and sending emails with pertinent information about security, you can provide your team with handbooks covering company security initiatives. It is a wise idea to break down these guidelines, making them easy to read and understand.

Offer ongoing training
It is crucial that you provide your staff with ongoing training to ensure everyone understands the importance of network security. In these sessions, you can cover new developments, review issues that may have happened in the recent past, and help new employees develop good security habits.

When it comes to security awareness, you can trust the team at Symtrex Inc. to help you. Our partnership with the Knowbe4 training is perfect for your organization.

Have you had to deal with a ransomware attack on your network? A ransomware attack can put a halt to any business activity and may financially cripple your organization. Here are a few reasons why having ransomware protection in place is essential.

Have access to all your files
When a hacker tries to ransom your data, they block access to your files and data until you pay them a certain amount of money. By implementing a backup of your computer systems and data, preferably off-site, which runs regularly, you can rest assured you can get your systems back up and running with minimal downtown.

Implement a security awareness program
It is vital that all of your employees know how to spot a potentially malicious file so you can stop a threat before they start. They should be able to recognize emails and files that could be part of the attack.

Prevent the spread of malware or exploits
As a business owner, it is imperative to ensure that each computer on the network is equipped with programs that will detect malware or an exploit before it becomes part of your system.

Count on the team at Symtrex Inc. to provide you with a wide array of cyber security solutions, including ransomware protection. We can help you keep your business’s valuable information secure.

As the skills and audacity of cyber criminals increase, so do the threats that they pose to business owners. While massive breaches at big corporations such as Target may lead the headlines, hackers are certainly not only interested in large corporations. That being said, all business owners should take cyber security seriously. However, not all organizations can afford their own in-house security teams. If you are not entirely confident in your systems’ defenses against cyber threats, it’s probably time to consider hiring a cyber security consultant. Here are some of the top reasons to have one of these professionals working for you.

Prevent Possible Attacks
Utilizing the right cyber security consulting services will help to prevent possible attacks on your company’s website, software programs, and IT infrastructure. If an issue does occur, a security consultant can likely mitigate before it increases in severity.

Save Money
According to a report from Kaspersky Lab, the average cost of a data breach for small and medium-sized businesses in 2017 was $117,000. While you may not have the means to hire an employee to oversee your company’s cyber defense around-the-clock, a cyber security consultant can still help to keep your company’s information secure and avoid costly data breaches.

Enhance Your Staff
A cyber security expert will help to educate your current employees and broaden their horizons when working with IT security. Once the consultant has completed the job, your workforce will benefit by continuing to implement his/her efforts with the new security practices that were established.

Governments and businesses continue to be the target of cyber criminals attempting to steal confidential and proprietary information, such as credit card information, health information or corporate secrets. After an attack, companies and agencies are left struggling to determine and explain just how their data was stolen or compromised. As they work to recover, cyber security experts use these events to emphasize the importance of being prepared for a cyber attack. The one area that continues to be a key concern is creating strong passwords. While everyone knows the importance of this, it is still surprising just how many users remain to use “1234” as a password.

To increase cyber security and help protect you or your company’s digital identity, here are some tips on creating effective passwords:

• Use both alphanumeric and special characters
• Do not base your password on information that is publicly known (i.e., your birthday or spouse’s name)
• Use an untraditional combination of words that only you would remember
• Do not use the same password across multiple programs or websites
• Do not write down your password

Cyber security solution providers know that weak passwords are largely to blame for online security breaches. Hackers have access to a number of tools, such as dictionary-based systems, that are effective in cracking weak passwords. A secure password, however, is one that a hacker cannot easily guess or crack using software tools. While keeping to the tips listed above may seem inconvenient, doing so can protect you and your company or agency from facing extremely compromising situations in the future.