Regardless of your chosen business sector, your organisation is always at risk of being hacked; the moment you connect to the information highway, you are opening up a door to all sorts of techniques used by cyber-criminals. Of course, there are many ways that you can add a layer of cyber protection, which we outline in this short article.

• Install a firewall – You can add a layer of protection to your LAN by installing a firewall, which is one more barrier the online hacker has to overcome. There are a few free firewalls that you can download from the Internet, but we advise you to choose a well-known subscription application, as this offers 100% protection. There are free resources online to explain how firewalls work, should you wish to know the inner workings. If you are looking for Android app development in Melbourne, the developer uses state-of-the-art cyber-security to protect the platform.

1. Change passwords regularly – One of the most common ways that hackers gain unauthorised access to accounts is cracking easy passwords and an easy way to prevent that is to choose strong passwords and change them often. There are software packages that can create super-strong passwords and remember them, so you don’t have to. Ask all your office staff to change their passwords every month, which makes it much harder to hack.
2. Invest in staff training – Why not ask a local cyber-security specialist to put together a short course to bring your employees up to date on hacking techniques? Office staff should know never to open unsolicited email attachments, as this is a common method for hackers to infect a computer, they should also be aware of phishing and how to spot a fake website. Such a course can be delivered in a couple of hours and armed with new knowledge, your office staff are less likely to fall victim to a hacker. Click here for detailed information about blockchain.
3. Always update applications – When updates become available, you should always install them, as they often contain security patches; users help software developers by reporting security issues and the developer can create a patch that, when installed, closes a loophole. The same goes for operating systems, such as Windows 10, where security patches are regularly created; failure to update could lead to unauthorised access.
4. Limit personal device connection – Many businesses do not permit staff to log in to the network using their devices, as they could infect the network with any number of viruses. This is something you should consider carefully and it might be a good idea to consult with your network administrator. 

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that cyber-crime is something that happens to other people; while we do hear about the big hacks, there are many smaller incidents on an almost daily basis and by following the above advice, you can reduce the risk of becoming a victim of cyber-crime.