10 tips to avoid cyber attacks

Published December 4, 2016 8:06 PM EST Updated July 17, 2023 2:29 PM EDT 1 Min Read

Through industry research by Lawley Insurance, the vast majority of U.S. small businesses lack a formal internet security policy for employees, and only about half have basic cyber security measures in place.

To help clients strengthen their security awareness, Lawley has provided 10 tips to help business owners protect their assets and improve reliability against cyber threats and attacks.

While the perception is that cyber attacks are the cause of shady computer hackers across the globe, the reality is that most data breaches are the result of human error . Educating your employees to be vigilant in protecting data is as important as having firewalls set up. Your team should be aware of suspicious emails requesting confidential information. If there’s ever a question about the legitimacy of an email making such requests or including suspicious links, call the sender to verify they actually sent the message.

In addition, make sure employees’ company phones , laptop and other mobile devices require strong passwords to access private data. Leaving an unlocked phone in a cab could be as damaging as a hacker penetrating your network.