You’re a target!
Many business owners have no idea how vulnerable to cyber attacks they really are. The main targets seem to be financial, healthcare, or government entities. However, this may be a perception issue. These industries are merely the most reported, but that does not mean they are the most hacked. There is concern that under reporting of other industries is providing a false sense of security. Law firms, for example, carry information that hackers would love to have, and they are being hacked at a growing rate. But these hacks are not as popular in the headlines, and so other firms are not aware of the dangers. It is imperative that law firms take the necessary precautions to avoid becoming a statistic.
Common mistakes
The first - and biggest - mistake law firms make is thinking that they are not prominent enough to be a target. This does not matter to a hacker. Big or small, law firms have client information which can be used for other hacks. They also deal with money from settlements. Hackers will want a slice whether the law firm deals with a few hundred to a few million. If this article teaches anyone something new, it should be that all businesses, big or small, are targets. Some other equally important mistakes are listed below:
- Don’t keep data longer than necessary. It may be easier to pull up an old file, but it is more secure to retype it years later. It can save you from a lawsuit being placed against you!
- Encryption is your friend! It is necessary, in fact, for industries that deal with personal information. Make sure things are protected to correct degree.
- Access paths need to be secure. This should be obvious, don’t make it easy for hackers to navigate your network in the event they get in.
- Known liabilities should be patched as soon as they are discovered. Weak links are welcome mats to criminals. Other, less important patches need to be properly evaluated before implementation.
- Take the time to do dirty work like maintenance. Bad configurations can cause headaches down the road or worse, vulnerabilities. Take the time to look at, or fix, these configurations.
I hope you find these tips helpful. For more details on how to apply these tips to your business, please contact me, your strategic technology planner, at SecurityFrist@BrickTechIT.com or at (407) 244-4494.
BrickTech provides IT Support, IT Consulting, Managed IT Services and offers VoIP phone systems in Orange County and Seminole County including Orlando, Winter Park, Oviedo, Maitland, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Lake Mary, Sanford and surrounding areas.
