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Five-point plan for businesses to boost their cybersecurity arrangements

By implementing robust encryption mechanisms to protect sensitive data, you can make it harder for perpetrators to access your organisation’s information.

Image: © PRENSA SENADO/AFP Handout
Image: © PRENSA SENADO/AFP Handout

Businesses need to prioritise the security of their digital systems, software and applications. Robust online security systems protect personal privacy and they also prevent financial losses, safeguard intellectual property, and help businesses comply with their legal obligations. Failure to do so can lead to reputational damage, leading to a loss of customer loyalty and a decline in the use of good and services.

According to Jose San Miguel, Managing Director at white label ticketing platform Nuweb Group, there are some essential ways by which firms can ensure digital platform security and avoid data breaches in 2023.

San Miguel  points out that the risk is exacerbated in companies that underinvest in cybersecurity, like the arts, entertainment and recreation sector.

There are increased risks facing the typical business, notes San Miguel: “With the rapid adoption of cloud, remote work, SaaS apps, and distributed systems, the security landscape has expanded significantly. Every new system, network, and application creates potential vulnerabilities for attackers to exploit.”

In terms of the main recommendations to reduce these risks, San Miguel offers:

Implement 2-factor authentication (2FA)

San Miguel states: “Implementing 2-factor authentication provides your platform with an additional layer of security beyond just a username and password combination. By requiring multiple factors of authentication, for example biometric data, the likelihood of unauthorised access significantly reduces. This means that even if the initial security factor is bypassed, the attacker would still have other authentication factors to deal with.”

Regularly update and patch systems

Here San Miguel notes: “You should strive to stay up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates relevant to your platform’s operating systems, software, and applications, because many of these updates tend to identify and address vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers. The updates and patches can also fix software bugs and improve system stability. By regularly updating, organisations can ensure that their systems are running efficiently and therefore providing a better user experience.”

Conduct Regular Security Audits and Penetration Testing

In terms of self-assessments, San Miguel recommends: “You should perform regular security audits and penetration testing to help identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in your systems, applications, and network infrastructure. This process involves actively testing your system’s security measures to discover potential weaknesses before they’re exploited. Any vulnerabilities that are identified should then be addressed promptly.”

Encrypt Sensitive Data

To safeguard data, San Miguel offers: “By implementing robust encryption mechanisms to protect sensitive data, you can make it harder for perpetrators to access your organisation’s information. Encryption ensures that sensitive data remains confidential and accessible only to authorised parties. It transforms the data into an unreadable format that can only be decrypted with the right decryption key. This helps protect against unauthorised access, whether it’s due to data breaches, insider threats, or physical theft.”

Employee Education and Awareness

For his final recommendation, San Miguel focuses on personnel: “Businesses should train employees on best practices for data security and raise awareness about potential threats such as phishing attacks. Try to encourage strong password practices, help your staff be able to recognise suspicious emails or links, and emphasise the importance of safeguarding sensitive information.”

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Written By

Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

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