Cyber crime is criminal activity carried out on the internet. It can be a crime such as hacking, spamming, or phishing in which a specific device is the object of the crime, or a crime in which a device is used as a tool to commit an offense.
Common cyber crimes include identity theft, unauthorized computer access, online theft of bank information, and online predatory crimes. Generally, cyber crime can be broken down into two basic categories:
- Crimes that target networks or devices. This includes viruses and DoS (denial-of-service) attacks.
- Crimes that use networks for other criminal activities. This type of cyber crime includes fraud, identity theft, phishing, and cyberstalking.
What Business Owners Can Do to Help Keep the Office Safe from Cyber Crime
Cyber crime is a real threat to businesses of any size today. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help keep your enterprise safe.
Optimize Email Security
Have multiple layers of security to prevent hackers from accessing your company’s database for sensitive information. Rather than fight their way through levels of built-up security, cyber criminals are more likely to give up and turn their attention to more vulnerable systems.
Use State-of-the-Art Protection Software
Ensure that you have the most advanced protection software in place. This includes firewall, malware, global DNS protection, and spam and phishing protection software. Have a knowledgeable IT specialist advise you on the best programs to run.
Adopt Password Policies for the Entire Company
It is a must in any company to have policies in place that dictate how often passwords are changed, where they are kept, and how they are given out. Your password policy should prohibit staff from using the same password for multiple logins and sites. All staff should use two-factor or multi-factor authentication to log in anywhere.
Assess Network Vulnerabilities and Make Needed Adjustments
Have your IT support test your infrastructure and data centers to ensure your cyber defenses are sufficient for the current environment. Managed IT services providers can perform 24/7 monitoring, testing, and analysis and make adjustments as needed to ensure your data is fully protected.
Have Regular Meetings with Staff and IT Specialists
Your staff need to be on the same page with your IT support specialists to protect your company from cyber crime. Have regular meetings in which knowledgeable IT support shares their findings and implementations with the entire staff to help keep cyber security protections and policies working as they should.
Protect Your Company with Cyber Liability Insurance
A cyber liability insurance policy can help protect your company in the event of a data breach in which sensitive customer information is exposed or stolen by cyber criminals. Cyber liability insurance covers a variety of expenses associated with a data breach or cyber crime, including:
- Notification costs
- Defense against claims by state regulators
- Fines and penalties
- Loss resulting from identity theft
- Liability arising from website media content
- Property exposures from business interruption, data loss or destruction, funds transfer loss, computer fraud, and cyber extortion
The cost of cyber liability insurance will depend on various factors, including type of business, number of transactions per year, number of computers or devices, type of information collected, and security measures your company has in place. Our knowledgeable agency can help you protect your company with the right cyber liability insurance at the best available price.