As technology continues to advance and grow, cybersecurity is becoming an extremely important role in business. The internet of things, or IoT, is making its way into more devices than ever including cars, watches, thermostats and more. With these technological enhancements come countless opportunities for hackers to invade these devices and find personal information.
The modern-day hacker does not have to be extremely tech-savvy, and there are a number of ways for them to find your information, like through email servers, apps and pop-ups on websites. Regardless of how large or small a company is, we all have some sort of “treasure” that is valuable to a hacker.
While this may seem frightening, there are many ways to keep your company and its information safe. Here are the top four ways to hack proof your manufacturing facility:
1. Understand the risks at stake.
The most important thing to do in any sort of attack, whether it be online or in person, is to be aware of your surroundings. Understanding hacking and how it can affect your business is the first step in protecting your company. Even with top-notch security systems, it is always possible for hackers to find a way to obtain information. Staying on top of your operating system and knowing what to watch out for will ensure that any type of breach is caught right away.
It is important to remain up-to-date in the latest cybersecurity news and trends in order to stay on your toes. With all of the devices and technology that your manufacturing facility operates, there will always be ways to improve functionality. Be sure to keep an eye out for better software and ways to update your devices to ensure they have the best protection possible.
2. Embrace cybersecurity as part of your corporate culture.
Employees need to be aware of the risks that come with technology and how they can play an active role and prevention. Providing training will show employees what to look out for and how to handle suspicious activity. This keeps everyone on the same page and working together to spot potential threats and save company information.
Along with training programs, small measures can also be taken to ensure cybersecurity. If an employee has to work remotely or on their own personal device, make sure any program holding company information is guarded by a strong password, and employees only connect to secure networks. It’s also smart to define protocols and have an incident response plan ready so everyone is prepared to handle any situation that may arise.
3. Encrypt your data.
When data is encrypted, only those with the password or key can decrypt it. Since it is likely that a hacker will not have the password to decrypt information, this is the most effective way to secure data. Hackers are on the hunt for employee and client information that can easily be left lying around, like social security numbers or financial information. Any data that is not necessary to store should be removed from your database. However, if sensitive information is necessary to store, make sure it is encrypted to limit access.
If a customer’s information is compromised when being hacked, along with designs and other sensitive company information, the damages can be catastrophic. One way to ensure that all your data is secured and encrypted is by using full-disk encryption tools. These will code your entire system, making sure every piece of data that is saved is encrypted. Utilizing tools and methods of keeping information untraceable to the outside world is the best practice for staying proactive in cybersecurity.
4. Make sure you are using the best technologies available.
While having the most advanced and modern technology is important in the manufacturing industry to stay in competition with other companies, it is just as important to have the best protection for these technologies as well. One of the key starting points in protecting your company is to have a strong firewall. This will monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on your predetermined rules. Once a firewall is set in place, make sure all of your devices are updated to the latest versions of software. This will help ensure that bugs and glitches are not hindering any device or software from maximum protection.
It is always important to have a strong antivirus program running on any smart device. Antivirus will hunt malware and viruses to prevent an entry point for hackers. By utilizing the tools and protection options at your disposal, maintaining cyber security is very manageable.
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