Top 5 Things a Company Can Do to Improve Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity has become a top priority for companies in today's digital world. With escalating cyber threats, organizations must implement protective measures for sensitive data and systems. Here are the five most effective things you can do to improve your company's cybersecurity.

1. Conduct Regular Security Audits

A security audit provides a comprehensive assessment of a company's information systems to identify vulnerabilities and potential risks.

Benefits of regular security audits:

Identifying security weaknesses and gaps in your infrastructure
Detecting needs for software patching, password updates, and data encryption
Uncovering misconfigurations before attackers exploit them
Validating that existing security controls work as intended

Best practices:

Conduct assessments annually or more frequently for high-risk environments
Engage independent security firms for objective evaluations
Document findings and track remediation progress
Include both technical and procedural assessments

2. Implement Strong Password Policies

Weak passwords represent a primary attack vector for cybercriminals. Strengthening password security is one of the most impactful improvements you can make.

Key recommendations:

Eliminate all default passwords before production deployment
Remove or disable unused accounts
Require complex passwords with minimum length requirements
Implement password expiration and history policies

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):

Adopt MFA requiring multiple authentication methods. Examples include:

Passwords combined with biometric verification (fingerprint, face recognition)
Hardware security keys
Time-based one-time passwords (TOTP)
Push notifications to verified devices

3. Train Employees on Cybersecurity Best Practices

Employees are often the weakest link in a company's cybersecurity. Comprehensive training programs transform your workforce into a security asset rather than a liability.

Training should cover:

Phishing email identification and reporting procedures
Strong password creation and management
Secure usage of company devices and networks
Social engineering awareness
Data handling and classification protocols

Ongoing awareness:

Conduct regular phishing simulations to assess awareness
Provide immediate feedback and additional training when needed
Share real-world examples and case studies
Recognize and reward security-conscious behavior

4. Backup Data Regularly

Regular backups are essential for recovery from ransomware attacks, hardware failures, and natural disasters.

Essential backup measures:

Implement regular off-site backups using cloud-based storage
Encrypt backup systems to protect sensitive information
Follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies, two different media types, one off-site
Conduct periodic restoration testing to ensure functionality

Business continuity benefits:

Enables rapid recovery following breaches or disasters
Minimizes downtime and operational disruption
Protects against ransomware by providing clean recovery points
Supports compliance requirements for data retention

5. Keep Software and Systems Up-to-Date

Software and system updates often include security patches and bug fixes that address known vulnerabilities.

Update requirements:

Operating systems and firmware
Web browsers and plugins
Business applications and productivity software
Security tools (antivirus, firewalls, endpoint protection)