Malware can cause severe damage to your personal or company data and systems. Each year malware is on the rise, and we are seeing new versions on a regular basis. Because of that it is critical for individuals and companies to take proactive measures to protect their systems and data. Here we will cover some of the best practices in malware protection. The combination of them assures a greater probability of staying safe or a fast recovery if you are infected.
1. Install and Update Antivirus and Anti-Malware Software
The number one thing that will help you in malware attacks is antivirus, anti-malware software. Yes, that might be an expected answer, but these programs are made to scan your computer for harmful software and remove it before it can cause any harm. They must be up to date to ensure your protection and eliminate even the newest malware there is. The best practice in antivirus software is to have full computer scans on a regular basis.
2. Keep Your Operating System and Software Up to Date
Another obvious reason is that many of us do not hold to the standard of updating our devices regularly. Updates are important as they do not only bring new features but often are just security updates in which many vulnerabilities are fixed. On an outdated device, these vulnerabilities can be exploited, and the device can be compromised. Make sure that system security updates are set to be installed automatically.
3. Use Strong Passwords
Make sure to use complex passwords as they are not easily guessed. A complex password should contain at least 12 characters and have a mix of upper- and lower-case letters as well as a mix of numbers and symbols. Using strong passwords can prevent unauthorized access. Often, we have a practice of re-using passwords, or just changing a small part of it. This practice will make your complex password weak, and again all your accounts can be breached. Do not use the same or similar passwords for multiple accounts.
4. Avoid Suspicious Emails and Links
Malware is often spread via emails and links that will be masked to look like legitimate sources. Always think a few times before clicking on a link or downloading attachments from unknown senders. Verify the source of the email or link before clicking on it. As that may be enough to infect your computer and expose your data.
Testing whether your organisation’s employees are alert to suspicious emails and links? Let the professionals at Cuccibu simulate an email phishing attack. With this, we collect statistics on how many employees open the email, click on a link, and enter data on a counterfeit login portal. The simulation will also focus on ‘the red flags’ of phishing emails. This allows your employees to recognize a phishing email with a quick check on a few points. Afterwards, you will receive a report with the statistics and a description of the scenario used.
5. USE SIEM
SIEM should be an essential practice for any business organization. It helps with detecting and preventing malware attacks by collecting data and analyzing it from various sources. Most SIEM systems use AI and machine learning which is hard to fool by malware creators. When SIEM identifies abnormal behavior, an alert is sent to the SOC team which they check and respond accordingly.
Outsource SIEM/SOC work? You can! Cuccibu’s Security Operations Centre (SOC) consists of a team of experienced staff who monitor, detect, analyse and respond to cyber threats in your organization 24/7. In doing so, we use our SIEM solution Microsoft Sentinel.
6. Back Up Your Data Regularly
Having regular backups set to prevent data loss in the event of a malware attack is key. If you or your company are hit by ransomware, the only way to ensure you can get your data is if you have a backup stored on a separate, isolated network. Ransomware allows the victim to pay for a decryption key, but nothing guarantees that the attacker will unlock your data.
7. Educate Yourself and Your Employees
Education on the risks of not only malware but cyber threats, in general, is the most important key to not being another victim of a malware attack. People are usually found to be the weakest point of infrastructure and even with the highest security if a person is tricked by some of the social engineering tactics, the extra security will not be of much help. Provide training for your employees, test them with phishing campaigns, and educate them on the findings. Besides conducting e-mail phishing campaigns, Cuccibu also offers other forms of phishing tests such as SMS phishing, voice phishing and QR-code phishing.
Malware is a severe concern in today’s digital environment, therefore taking protection against it is critical. You can reduce your chances of being a victim by learning about the history, present situation, technological components, and methods of malware defense. Always be vigilant, maintain your software up to date, use antivirus software, follow safe browsing habits, and train yourself and your employees. By adopting these steps, you may benefit from the digital age while decreasing your malware risk. It is crucial for companies to have a great monitoring system set up in place, to keep them safe at all times against any kind of cyber-attack.
Our advice? Take proactive steps for malware prevention and start mitigating the risks immediately. The Cyber Security experts of Cuccibu are ready to help! For example, we can provide phishing tests and set up an awareness programme to raise awareness about the dangers of malware among employees. We can also implement crisis simulation and/or provide SIEM/SOC monitoring. SIEM/SOC monitoring makes it possible to act as quickly as possible in case of infection and stop the attack immediately.
Want to know more about what we can do? Feel free to contact us at sales@cuccibu.nl. We will be happy to tell you about the various possibilities.
Reduce Risk, Create Value!