How to be Vigilant Online to Prevent Cyberattacks

On the onset of the COVID 19 Pandemic, practically the whole workforce was forced to adopt telecommuting. Even those working on-site are managed by their superiors remotely, thus requiring that they interface with their managers through the internet. Our increased dependence on online IT solutions to facilitate daily operations have resulted in the increase of corporate cybersecurity attacks, both in frequency and complexity. BHT Solutions—a Houston-based Cybersecurity Solutions that can work with clients all over the country—believes that the bleeding edge of computing technology should be available to everyone to make their work easier. By implementing personalized IT solutions alongside appropriate cybersecurity solutions, any company can enjoy the benefits of technology without being vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks such as phishing and identity theft.

User Education: An Oft-Overlooked Houston Cybersecurity Solution

While some security breaches are the result of brute force attacks to crack passwords, the majority of corporate cybersecurity attacks employ social engineering such as phishing and identity theft. Social engineering is a collection of techniques used by fraudsters to deceive their target. In phishing attacks, victims unknowingly divulge sensitive information to fraudsters who are posing as legitimate entities. A company can have the most sophisticated of Houston Cybersecurity Solutions and protocols in place but if it fails to educate its users against cybersecurity attacks then it will always be vulnerable.

GENERATE A STRONG PASSWORD

According to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, a strong password is long, complex, and unpredictable. An additional feature that makes for a good password is that it is easy for its user to recall. For an in-depth discussion on generating a strong password, you may read this FAQ from BHT Solutions.

BE WARY OF SPOOF WEBSITES

Phishing attacks usually capture user passwords by routing victims to a spoof website, a site designed to look like the legitimate site of the entity requiring the victim’s credentials (bank, email service, etc.). Users should do the following to prevent cybersecurity attacks stemming from spoof websites:

• Inspect the URL – the link should start with “https” to denote that it uses secured encryption processes. Watch out for random substitutions, additions, or deletions that are designed to deceive (e.g. g00gle.com, macdonalds.com).
• Check their company’s social media accounts – this is a simple but effective way of checking legitimacy because it is verified by multiple other users in the social media. Check if the website in the company’s verified social media account brings you to the same URL.
• Bookmark legitimate websites – users should bookmark legitimate websites and provide their credentials only to bookmarked sites.
• Enable multi-factor authentication – multi-factor authentication provides an additional layer of security in case of a password breach.

Customized Houston Cybersecurity Solutions Designed for your Specific Business Needs

We are seeing now before our eyes how IT Solutions are transforming businesses by making them more efficient. As a Minority-Owned and Historically-Underutilized Houston Cybersecurity Solutions company ourselves, we know that harnessing technology can help small enterprises close the gap. Effective IT solutions need not break the bank. BHT Solutions can provide you IT solutions that are cost-effective, personalized, and more importantly easy to use. Give us a call now and avail of our free 1-hour consultation!