Does Cyber Security Play a Role When You Move Your Business to a Digital Platform?

Businesses and consumers continue to face threats operating online — and those in the agriculture industry are not immune. While the vast majority of digital applications are designed for safe and practical use, some online users have found that their computers can be quickly infected with a virus or malware like spyware, cryptoware and ransomware.

These infections can not only slow down an operating system but also leave your data vulnerable to hacking attempts or just be totally locked out. It’s important to take steps to protect yourself in today’s challenging new digital environments, so within this article we’ll look at what you can do to protect yourself against a virus or malware.

Harness Two-Factor Authentication and / or Two-Step Verification

While most of us use passwords on our home computer accounts, email accounts and on our cell phones, it’s now important to take that extra step for optimal protection. Two-factor authentication and two-step verification provides additional fortification against hackers using a second security step. The second authentication or verification might involve a confirmation being sent to a cell phone, a conformation via a secondary email account or remember a unique attribute about you, like your mom’s maiden name. This helps further protect the user and their data.

Install Anti-malware Software

Getting the best antivirus you can is an excellent first line of defence for your computer devices, but it's often a good idea to install additional anti-malware software to boost your protection from a more diverse range of threats. Alternatively, you could replace your existing security software with a whole new suite designed to protect against all kinds of malware.

Stop Clicking Email Links (Phishing)

Phishing is a type of online scam where criminals send an email that appears to be from a legitimate company or person and ask you to provide sensitive information or click on a link or open an attachment. This is can be done by including a link that will appear to take you to the company’s website to fill in your information. However, it could look legit but the website is a clever fake and the information you provide goes straight to the crooks behind the scam or the link could have malware imbedded into it and you download some malicious malware to your computer device.

The term ’phishing’ is a spin on the word fishing, because criminals are dangling a fake ’lure’ (the email that looks legitimate, as well as the website that looks legitimate) hoping users will ’bite’ by providing the information the criminals have requested — such as credit card numbers, account numbers, passwords, usernames and more.

By taking proactive measures to secure their computer devices, users can mitigate security threats and protect their data for the long-term. To learn more, contact Danny Timmins, National Cyber Security Leader, at 905.607.9777 or [email protected] or your local MNP Advisor.