7 Common Cybersecurity Mistakes That Can Create A Blunder

What is the most expensive mistake in the world? It was a cyber breach in Epsilon that cost the company $4 million. In businesses, there are many common cybersecurity mistakes that we often make.

When it comes to running a business efficiently, data is the foremost thing to be protected. Any breach in data can lead to reputation damage, money loss as well as a business ruin. Many high-end software & tools are offering state-of-the-art security, but they might sometimes fail.

So, what should be your approach to safeguard your data or company? Prevention is a complementary approach that should be atop of everything. Here are the most common cybersecurity mistakes that can hurt badly if overlooked.

Cyberattacks can happen at any time, and when it happens, you must not get caught napping. 

Cybersecurity mistakes can cost businesses their very existence. In fact, according to research by IBM, 2021 saw the highest spike in the average cost of data breaches in 17 years, from $3.86 million to $4.24 million. 

Hackers can stop all business operations, cast the servers, and shut down entire businesses. 

So, regardless of whether you are a small business or a large organization, hackers won’t bother to take their chances with you. 

But, don’t worry, because we are going over seven tips that can help you avoid these mistakes:

1. Stop using weak passwords

Nearly 80% of all data breaches happen due to bad password hygiene. 

Weak passwords are like front doors without locks. Almost everybody can sneak in through such doors and steal your stuff. 

Ensure that your passwords are at least 12 characters long, written using upper case, lower case, and special symbols. 

Moreover, never use the same password in multiple accounts as if one password is breached, all your accounts will be compromised. 

2. Stop using the HTTP website.

HTTP websites lack data encryption, so any third party can easily see what is being transferred from the site. The data gets passed in the form of plain text. 

On the other hand, an HTTPS website involves using a Secure Socket Layer or SSL certificate that encrypts the data transfer and secures the communication between a web browser and a web server.

SSL facilitates Public Key Infrastructure or PKI, which uses Public, Private, and Sessions keys to commence and end the encryption process. 

SSL are of two types, namely:

• Regular SSL

A regular SSL can protect a single domain or subdomain at a given instance. Therefore, these certificates are best for small businesses that do not wish to expand themselves in the future and are committed to sticking to a single primary domain. 

To attain a regular certificate, a user can choose either a Domain, Organizational or Extended Validation. 

• Wildcard SSL

Wildcard certificates are capable of protecting both primary and an unlimited number of subdomains to level 1. Wildcards are best for large businesses who want to have their own general website, eCommerce store, or even separate employee portal. 

Wildcard SSL certs are available in either Domain or Organizational Validation. 

Wondering which one to buy of the two? 

Well, that depends on your website's nature; for a single static website, Comodo’s regular certificate can do well.

But, if you have multiple first-level subdomains under the main domain and want an inexpensive yet premium certificate, you must opt for a Cheap Comodo Wildcard SSL certificate that offers the same encryption strength as the more expensive ones. 

3. Avoid using public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fis are extremely insecure. 

Generally, they do not facilitate encryption, so anyone can intercept and manipulate data passed over them. 

By using public Wi-Fi for transactions, you can fall victim to a MITM attack, eavesdropping, malware injection, and data theft. 

4. Don’t miss out on software updates

People see software updates as a waste of energy, data, and crucial time. 

Well, it is not. Software updates are issued for the public good. They contain security patches and bug fixes that are vital to protect your data against potential cyberattacks. 

Just like cybercriminals develop new kinds of attacks each day, developers also spend a huge chunk of their time identifying the loopholes in their software. 

Once a problem is identified, a security patch is quickly developed and issued for the public to download. 

So, never miss out on software updates. 

5. Create a backup plan

Don’t leave your business to its fate. You must have a plan in place to retrieve information, just in case it is lost. 

Websites with no backup plans find themselves in deep trouble as they now have to start everything from scratch. 

Moreover, don’t create backups for the sake of it and store them somewhere on your computer; that is as good as nothing if your computer gets compromised. 

Cloud-based storage is the best place to store your data. The best part about clouds is that you can access your information from anywhere you want. 

6. Don’t depend simply on username and passwords.

Username and passwords should be strong, but they can still be breached, which is why you must ask your users to verify their identity through 2-factor authentication. 

2-factor authentication includes a code sent to a user’s registered mobile number and email after entering the correct password. 

The code is valid for a specified period only, making it even more difficult if you don’t have your device around you. 

So, opt for multi-factor authentication instead of a simple sign-up.

7. Don’t store your passwords in your web browser.

All your efforts go for a toss if a hacker gets access to your device with a saved password. 

They can easily access your sensitive information and change your passwords if they have to. 

So, never save your password in the browser as every browser is a third-party app and should not be trusted with your sensitive information. 

To Conclude

Cybercrimes rise in the same proportion as technology. Hackers are good at updating themselves according to the latest security changes. 

As business owners, we must also keep ourselves updated with the latest technological advancements to prevent cybersecurity mistakes.  

Following security protocols like installing an SSL certificate, maintaining good password hygiene, not using public Wi-Fi for transactions, and having a backup plan can surely help us fight the bad guys. 

So, follow these 7 points given above and rectify all your cybersecurity mistakes.