5 Easy Ways you Can Avoid a Cyber Security Slip Up in 2024

5 Easy Ways you can avoid a cyber security slip up in 2024

Don’t let cyber criminals ruin your year. Follow these simple tips to keep your data, systems, and reputation safe.

Introduction

Hello, and welcome to the Jera IT blog, where we share our insights, tips, and tricks on all things IT. We are a Scottish IT company that offers IT support, IT security, and IT strategy services to businesses of all sizes and sectors. We have over 20 years of experience in providing IT solutions that help our clients grow, innovate, and compete. If you want to learn more about us, you can check out our website or download our free eBook.

In today’s post, we are going to talk about a topic that is very important for every business: cyber security. Cyber security is the practice of protecting your data, systems, and reputation from cyber threats, such as hackers, malware, ransomware, phishing, and more. Cyber security is not only a technical issue, but also a business issue. According to a recent report by IBM, the average cost of a data breach in 2020 was £2.9 million, and the average time to identify and contain a breach was 280 days. That’s a lot of money and time that you could spend on growing your business, instead of dealing with cyber criminals.

The good news is that cyber security doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or boring. In fact, there are some easy ways that you can avoid a cyber security slip up in 2024, and we are going to share them with you in this post. These are simple tips that you can implement right away, without breaking the bank or hiring a team of IT experts. Of course, if you do need some professional help, you can always contact us at Jera IT, and we will be happy to assist you. But for now, let’s get started with our 5 easy ways to avoid a cyber security slip up in 2024.

1. Update your software and hardware regularly

One of the easiest and most effective ways to avoid a cyber security slip up is to update your software and hardware regularly. This means that you should install the latest patches, updates, and upgrades for your operating systems, applications, browsers, and devices. These updates often contain security fixes and improvements that can protect you from new and emerging cyber threats. Updating your software and hardware can also improve your performance, functionality, and compatibility.

Updating your software and hardware doesn’t have to be a hassle. You can set up automatic updates for most of your software and hardware, or you can use a tool like Jera IT’s IT support service, which can help you manage your updates remotely and securely. Updating your software and hardware regularly can save you a lot of trouble and money in the long run, so don’t skip this step.

2. Use strong and unique passwords for all your accounts

Another easy and effective way to avoid a cyber security slip up is to use strong and unique passwords for all your accounts. This means that you should create passwords that are long, complex, and random, and that you should use different passwords for different accounts. This way, you can prevent hackers from guessing or cracking your passwords, or from accessing multiple accounts with the same password.

Using strong and unique passwords for all your accounts doesn’t have to be a chore. You can use a tool like a password manager, which can help you generate, store, and autofill your passwords securely. You can also use a tool like Jera IT’s IT security service, which can help you audit, monitor, and protect your passwords and accounts. Using strong and unique passwords for all your accounts can boost your security and privacy, so don’t neglect this tip.

3. Enable multi-factor authentication for all your accounts

A third easy and effective way to avoid a cyber security slip up is to enable multi-factor authentication for all your accounts. This means that you should add an extra layer of security to your accounts, besides your password. This could be a code sent to your phone, an email link, a fingerprint scan, a face recognition, or a physical key. This way, you can prevent hackers from accessing your accounts, even if they have your password.

Enabling multi-factor authentication for all your accounts doesn’t have to be a hassle. You can enable it for most of your accounts, especially the ones that contain sensitive or valuable information, such as your email, bank, social media, or cloud accounts. You can also use a tool like Jera IT’s IT security service, which can help you set up, manage, and verify your multi-factor authentication. Enabling multi-factor authentication for all your accounts can enhance your security and peace of mind, so don’t ignore this tip.

4. Educate yourself and your staff on cyber security best practices

A fourth easy and effective way to avoid a cyber security slip up is to educate yourself and your staff on cyber security best practices. This means that you should learn and follow the basic rules and guidelines on how to prevent, detect, and respond to cyberattacks. This could include things like: how to spot and avoid phishing emails, how to backup and restore your data, how to report and escalate a cyber incident, how to use public Wi-Fi safely, and more. This way, you can reduce the human error and negligence that often lead to cyber security slip ups.

Educating yourself and your staff on cyber security best practices doesn’t have to be boring. You can use a tool like Jera IT’s IT security service, which can help you provide cyber security training and awareness to you and your staff. You can also use a tool like Jera IT’s IT strategy service, which can help you plan, implement, and manage your cyber security projects and policies. Educating yourself and your staff on cyber security best practices can empower you and your staff, so don’t overlook this tip.

5. Partner with a reliable and professional IT company

A fifth and final easy and effective way to avoid a cyber security slip up is to partner with a reliable and professional IT company. This means that you should outsource some or all of your IT needs to a trusted and experienced IT partner, who can provide you with the best IT support, IT security, and IT strategy solutions. This way, you can benefit from the expertise, resources, and tools that an IT company can offer, and focus on your core business activities.

Partnering with a reliable and professional IT company doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. You can partner with Jera IT, a Scottish IT company that offers a range of IT services to suit your needs and budget. You can choose from our fixed-price or pay-as-you-go plans, and from our basic to comprehensive levels of service. You can also take advantage of our free offers, such as a free vulnerability audit, a free dark web scan, a free M365 security audit, a free 2-hour consultation session, 3 months of free cyber security training, and a 3-month backup of your Microsoft. Partnering with a reliable and professional IT company can save you a lot of stress and money, so don’t hesitate to contact us.

Conclusion

We hope that you enjoyed this post, and that you learned something new and useful. We also hope that you will follow our 5 easy ways to avoid a cyber security slip up in 2024, and that you will stay safe and secure online. Cyber security is not a luxury, but a necessity, for every business. Don’t let cyber criminals ruin your year. Follow these simple tips, and contact us at Jera IT, if you need any help. We are here to help you grow your business with IT support, IT security, and IT strategy. Thank you for reading, and see you in the next post.