6 IT Security Quick-Wins Your Business Can Implement Today

Introduction

IT support is a complex topic at the best of times.

Add the necessity of cybersecurity protection in there and you can see why so many businesses are turning to IT support companies for help.

But you don’t have to wait to sign up for an IT support agreement to start making progress with your IT security – you can start today.

Here at Get Support, our team has worked closely with countless UK companies to implement airtight IT support and security systems – and we can share some valuable quick-win insights right now.

Here are 6 things your business can do today to improve your IT security.

Quick-Win #1: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication

We’ve covered this a few times before on the Get Support blog, but it bears repeating: the biggest reason for passwords being compromised is human error.

You can throw as much money as you like at cybersecurity systems, but they can all come a cropper with just one person using “letmein” as their password. Thankfully, you can mitigate some of this risk with a simple fix: enable multi-factor authentication.

Also known by the initialism “MFA”, multi-factor authentication is a means of authenticating a user’s identity using at least one other form of ID. These factors are referred to as something you know (e.g. a password or mother’s maiden name), something you are (like a fingerprint scan), or something you have (e.g. a push notification or text message on your phone).

The most common setup we see with MFA is the ‘something you have’ approach of a one-time text message code on login. This is one of the options available when authenticating via the Microsoft 365 family of apps and services, and it’s an excellent way to secure your business in a very short space of time.

To learn more about MFA, be sure to check out our Plain English Guide.

Quick-Win #2: Ensure all of your apps and operating systems are up to date

It’s easy to get comfortable with the apps and operating systems we use on a daily basis.

We’re probably all guilty of having dismissed the ‘Important updates need to be installed’ prompt at one time or another – but this can be a potential source of IT security risk.

Cyberattackers are getting smarter all the time, and – as the concept of the ‘zero-day’ exploit proves – they are always finding new ways to attack businesses and users. The older a piece of software is, the more likely it is that attackers will have found a way to exploit or compromise it in some way.

So, provided the software hasn’t gone ‘end of life’, you should always ensure all of your operating system and any installed software receives auto-updates to close the door on attackers as soon as possible.

Quick-Win #3: Install a (reliable) virus and cyber-threat protection system

What’s the first thing you do when you set up a new computer?

For many of us, the answer is to install a piece of antivirus software. The logic here is sound, of course – you want to ensure you’re protected from day one of a new machine. But there’s a drawback to conventional antivirus software: it’s retroactive by design.

What does this mean? Well, antivirus works on a system of definitions which the software will match against files and programs found on your computer. If one of them matches, the IT support systems built into the software will kick in: quarantine, deletion, and so on. The only problem? Much of the damage will already have been done by this point.

For this reason, our crack team of IT experts at Get Support recommend looking into more sophisticated options like Endpoint Detection and Response. With a system like this, you’ll benefit from real-time threat detection across your full network, the ability to rollback any damage, and much more.

Quick-Win #4: Review and re-train on your security policies

It doesn’t matter who you are, at some point, a little bit of complacency is going to creep in – especially when it comes to IT support processes.

While your IT team might have taken the time to document all of your policies regarding technology at work, it’s still very easy for mistakes to be made. This might result in problems like employees falling for phishing scams, opening accidental backdoors into your network, using weak passwords, and more.

To avoid potential IT support problems made worse by complacency, it’s important to review your policies and re-train or refresh your employees at least once per year – if not every six months.

Quick-Win #5: Create a regular plan for cyberthreat awareness training

Along with training your employees on exactly what they should (and shouldn’t) do when it comes to IT best practices at work, it’s also a good idea to bring them into the conversation about cybersecurity.

One great way to do this is to host regular cybersecurity seminars during which you review the most common threats to your company’s IT security. With new forms of digital attack being discovered every day, keeping your workforce aware of potential threats is a great way to increase vigilance. Whether that’s sharing with them the recent types of phishing emails that are going around, or simply explaining how attacks spread within a network, this is all valuable context to keep your employees aware and engaged when it comes to IT support.

Quick-Win #6: Double-check your backup process and disaster recovery plan

Try as you might, even the most watertight of IT security measures may eventually fail and allow something to slip through.

While measures like EDR will mitigate the damage done, you should also be certain that your data backup solution is up and running at all times.

Even a single day of data loss can be a big problem for a small business, so implementing a backup procedure and disaster recovery plan is a straightforward and (relatively) quick process to help save that data should the worst happen.

Not familiar with the concept of disaster recovery? Check out our Plain English Guide for an in-depth introduction on how to get started.

Want more than just the basics? Our IT support agreements are the next step

These 6 quick-wins are the perfect way to set your business up for IT support success – but there’s plenty more to discover and implement.

From advice on IT planning and deployment to troubleshooting everyday business IT problems, the Get Support experts are on-hand to help anytime with our flexible, affordable IT support agreements.

Get the IT support your business needs for today and tomorrow by calling us on 01865 59 4000 – or just fill in the form below and we’ll call you. That’s IT support, made simple.