Malware, or malicious software, can be used by cybercriminals in many ways. There are also varied types of malware – Worms, viruses, trojans, adware, spyware, ransomware to name a few. Malware attacks are typically designed to steal data, or to gain control of networked devices and resources. The good news is malware prevention doesn’t have to be complicated. It takes a proactive approach to handle any threat related to malware infections. In this post, we are sharing more on how your small business can prevent these attacks.
Check for unused software and bloatware
Networked devices often have software and bloatware that are not in use anymore. Anything that’s not needed on a system needs to removed ASAP. Hackers often use these apps to hack into systems or cause unexpected breaches.
Focus on best email practices
Employees often fall prey to social engineering attacks, which mostly happen on calls and emails. Email can be a source of malicious downloads and attachments, which can have serious consequences. Some of the malware infections are very hard to detect, unless there has been audit or penetration test. Ask your employees to read every email with an eagle’s eye and report spams.
Password protection needs attention
Ensuring that your employees are using strong and long passwords is a must. In fact, this is the time for passphrases. Passphrases should be at least 16 characters long, and must be randomly generated. Expectedly, users will have a hard time managing these passwords, so having a password manager is necessary.
Consider an antivirus, antimalware suite
There are a bunch of antimalware and antivirus products in the market, each one with its capabilities to detect and remove malicious files. Some of these products have been designed for small businesses, so the pricing is usually affordable. Ensure that every networked device is protected by a firewall, and at the same time, a comprehensive antimalware suite is installed.
Train employees on phishing
Phishing emails often have malware, and an unsuspecting employee may end up downloading and installing the same. It is wise to train employees on phishing prevention, which can eventually become a part of onboarding new employees too.
To sum up
Finally, cybersecurity concerns like malware attacks can be managed better with a collaborative approach within the organization. Make sure that every device is protected, every employee is aware of social engineering tactics and phishing, and there is constant monitoring of devices and networks, to find signs of infection.
