Data breaches and compromised networks typically have one thing in common. The intrusion starts by exploiting an organization’s vulnerabilities. It could be an IoT device with outdated firmware or security patches. Maybe there’s a faulty network configuration in one of your servers. However, it is more than likely that cybercriminals will target the people in your organization through communication methods such as email.
Keeping your business communication safe is your first line of defense. Enhancing those safeguards as tech improvements come along is even better and often a must in today’s precarious environment. Every day, it seems like a new trick is up malicious actors’ sleeves. Not to mention, data breaches are making the news headlines with impact similar to that of major storms. Here are four ideas if you need some tech fixes to help your organization fight back.
1. Controlled, Streamlined Access
Your company’s email accounts are attractive to cybercriminals. They can use the addresses and people’s names to send phishing attempts and spoofed messages. Yes, you might publish the names and faces of your corporate management team online. Yet, you want to control who has access to all the emails and distribution lists in your company’s directory.
You can check out the features of a global address list, including sync and offline access abilities. Also known as a GAL, this email tool stores people’s names, email addresses, job titles, and phone numbers. This information isn’t something you necessarily want to make public. Restricting access to those who need to be in the know may cut down on the information cybercriminals can exploit.
Simultaneously, your organization can streamline email communication. It’s much easier for an employee to find a co-worker’s contact info through a GAL than by searching intranet pages. The use of a GAL reduces mistakes from manually typing out email addresses. Sensitive messages and employees’ contact info won’t get sent to someone it shouldn’t. GALs automatically insert addresses when selecting names, boosting efficiency and safety.
2. Encryption
When you send an email, you may think the only people who can see it are the sender and the receiver. Maybe someone in your IT department can access it later if there’s an investigation. But overall, the data should go from sender to receiver, unviewed by outside parties.
Well, this assumption isn’t necessarily correct if you’re not using email encryption. Sending unencrypted emails is kind of like mailing a letter without taping the envelope shut. You’re leaving what’s inside wide open to prying eyes. But when you implement encryption protocols, you’re helping to keep the data secure.
It’s much harder for cybercriminals to gain access to what’s inside your emails when those messages are encrypted. They’d have to try to crack the code, which isn’t usually worth their time when there are unsecured messages they can target elsewhere.
Whether it’s an internal or external email, encryption mitigates potential eavesdropping when messages are traveling between servers. Encryption maintains your privacy in the same way a lock on a personal journal can.
3. Secure Platforms and Portals
Email isn’t the only way employees exchange documents and messages. Anyone who works in today’s business environment knows collaboration and cloud-based platforms are where conversations happen. Instant messages, video/audio calls, and file uploads happen throughout the day. It’s often easier than sifting through an asynchronous email chain.
Keeping this fact of modern business communications in mind, it’s imperative to use secure platforms. Just like unencrypted emails, not implementing security measures for cloud-based doc sharing leaves your information wide open. Naturally, you want to ensure instant messages and VoIP calls are kept under wraps. Sensitive or proprietary information is likely going back and forth in these exchanges.
Access control comes into play here as well. You can restrict who can view or edit information based on job title. There’s no need for a marketing employee to read technical documents outlining server configurations. Likewise, the C-suite may want to keep discussions about corporate strategies within the corner offices. Implementing controls based on employee status and job function also prevents unauthorized, external access.
4. Mobile Device Management Solutions
Most employees don’t use a single device. Stats show the average worker uses 2.5 devices for work-related tasks. While 97% of staff members use a desktop or laptop, 66% also rely on smartphones. When it comes to tablets, 24% of employees use them regularly.
From a security standpoint, the use of mobile devices can be problematic. Especially if the employees are using personal devices, data can get stored on hardware that’s outside of company oversight. Mobile devices are more easily misplaced, lost, and stolen. Staff take them everywhere they go, including their homes. It’s not unheard of to have to contact an ex-employee about a company-issued mobile device they still have in their possession.
Mobile device management solutions accomplish multiple security-enhancing tasks. These platforms keep track of where devices are when they connect to a network. Your IT team can also use mobile device management solutions to remotely wipe sensitive data if needed. Some platforms allow you to temporarily lock devices remotely. If there’s a concern about who might have unauthorized access to business communications, backdoor access and functionality is key.
Keeping Business Communication Safe
There’s an unspoken rule about conversations. You never know who might be eavesdropping. Business communications face the same challenge, especially when most of these exchanges are digital. At the same time, it’s not just the fact that someone could gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. It’s how they might exploit it to their advantage.
Maintaining secure exchanges can prevent organizations from becoming compromised and talked about in the news. Yet, putting up the right barriers to malicious actors’ tactics is an ongoing challenge. Tech fixes like access controls and mobile device management solutions are reliable ways companies can put up a good fight.
