Tips to Protect Your Small Business from a Cyberattack

October 13, 2022

Businesses of all sizes are a potential target for cybercriminals and at OceanFirst Bank, the security of your business is our priority. In honor of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, here are some tips that can help you protect your small business from a cyberattack:

Educate your employees 

Employees can serve as a first line of defense to combat online threats and can actively help stop malware from infiltrating the organization’s system. It is important to educate them on the common types of malware such as: 

• Adware – automatically delivers advertisements. A common example is a pop-up ad on a website.  
• Spyware – secretly records what you do on your computer in hopes of capturing passwords, banking credentials and other important information. If captured the information is, then sent to the fraudster.
• Ransomware – designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.
• Trojan – disguises itself as a normal file or program to trick users into downloading and installing malware. A Trojan can give a malicious party remote access to an infected computer.
• Viruses – when executed, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code. 
• Worms – spread over computer networks by exploiting operating system vulnerabilities.

With the right knowledge and understanding employees can be the best line of cyber defense. 

Manage the use of privileged accounts 

Restrict users’ ability to install and run software applications on network devices, in an effort to limit your networks exposure to malware.

Employ a data backup and recovery plan for all critical information 

Backups are essential for lessening the impact of potential malware threats. Store the data in a separate device or offline in order to access it in the event of an attack.  

Update all business devices 

Ensure antivirus and anti-malware solutions are set to automatically update and conduct regular scans so that your operating systems operate efficiently. 

With a strong security program paired with employee education about the warning signs, safe practices and responses that can aid in preventing a cyberattack.  

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