internet security

Internet Security Guide for Businesses

Every day, companies produce information , regardless of their size. This information adds value and increases productivity and competitiveness in the market . When used online, this data needs to be protected, and for this reason, so many internet security systems and tools exist.

Given this scenario, we have prepared important information about internet security for professionals and companies , aiming to help them understand the importance of this topic.

Throughout this page you will find texts, articles, reports, news and downloadable materials, all completely free of charge, contributing to awareness of the importance of internet security in companies.

Enjoy your reading!


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Summary

Navigate through the topics by clicking on the titles below:

What is internet security?

Internet security can be understood as all the precautions that users should take to protect all the assets that are part of the internet, such as infrastructure, devices, and information.

Methods, procedures, standards, and laws, such as the General Data Protection Law (LGPD ) , for example, seek to identify and eliminate vulnerabilities in the information of users and devices connected to the internet.

Internet security prioritizes ensuring that important information does not fall into the possession of anyone other than its rightful owner .

To stay safe online, there are several solutions, such as software , hardware , services , and also training , since new cyberattacks emerge every year, with different methods and innovative strategies.

Understanding the importance of internet security in the business environment is essential for entrepreneurs, managers, and IT professionals who seek to grow in the market by using the internet to their advantage.


How important is internet security for a company?

Cybercriminals use various methods to try and turn an unprotected or unprepared user into a victim of a cyberattack.

With the large number of people connected, using and transferring personal information daily, the internet is like a field full of lambs for the wolf to choose which one to attack. That's why internet security is such an important topic today, especially for professionals and companies, who are among the most common targets.

Viruses in the system, fake emails, and even very well-constructed websites with an appearance identical to the real one are some of the ways to attack internet users.

Regarding objectives, there are many. Among the most common are:

  • Attacking systems or equipment
  • Stealing confidential , sensitive , or valuable (or all of it)
  • Stealing the identity of users or companies.
  • Stealing money
  • Corrupting important data
  • Selling stolen personal data

Note that there are various attack methods and motives, therefore, maintaining the company's internet security is important and should be taken seriously.

Who are the main targets?

In the article "Cybersecurity Predictions for Latin America in 2021," published on the Kaspersky blog, the projected numbers of internet crimes for 2021 are alarming. According to the internet security company, the increase and diversification of attacks on financial systems in 2021 will be greater than this year.

Among the attacks reported weekly on various technology portals are:

  • Companies from various sectors
  • Banking institutions
  • Governmental institutions
  • Public figures and celebrities

What are the most common cyberattacks?

If you, as a manager, business owner, or IT professional, want to keep your company protected against cyberattacks, the first step is to understand how they work and what the main types of attacks are today.

Information security has been increasingly promoted as a contingency strategy, especially in a year when the situation became very favorable for cybercriminals with the rise of remote work.

But for many, understanding how each attack works isn't so simple; after all, there are so many.

Among the most common attacks against companies in various sectors are:

  • DDoS Attack
    • Overloading of the company's or organization's servers, causing slowness and crashes
  • Port Scanning Attack
    • Scanning for a vulnerable port using malware
  • Ransomware
    • Access to attacked files is blocked and only released after payment of a sum of money
  • Trojan Horse
    • Theft of information through the execution of an email attachment or malicious download
  • Brute force attacks
    • Stealing accounts through numerous attempts at username and password combinations in a very short amount of time.
  • Phishing
    • Typically carried out via email, it is a cyberattack in which hackers trick users into revealing confidential information, including passwords, bank details, and social security numbers

You can see more details about each attack in the article Hackers vs. Companies: What are the most common cyberattacks ?

What is the main entry point for cyberattacks in a company?

countless entry points for a cyberattack . Emails, malicious files, fake links, fake advertisements, among many others. Internet security systems such as firewalls , antivirus software backup system can add an extra layer of security to the internet in a business environment. However, the key point for attacks within companies is the users .

Lack of knowledge, carelessness, or the infamous "I know what I'm doing" attitude make employees the biggest security vulnerability for companies on the internet. Therefore, training employees and maintaining an internet security policy within the company is just as important as security systems .


Best practices for internet security in businesses

There is no doubt that the internet has become a powerful tool for facilitating processes in companies. However, it is important to remember that the internet is not always a completely secure medium when used in a corporate environment.

With the exponential increase in companies and users connected to the internet, the risks associated with the vulnerability of systems and data also increase; therefore, maintaining good internet security practices is important for businesses.

According to Verizon's Data Breach Investigations Report 2020 86% of cyberattacks this year were financially motivated . This motive is more common when the target is a company, since it has a larger amount of money than ordinary internet users.

Furthermore, the entry point for hackers is usually the users themselves . Habits, lack of knowledge, or ignoring fundamental security standards and systems make many companies easy targets for cybercriminals.

To help businesses, we've listed 10 best practices for internet security for companies and professionals , making it easier to implement basic protection systems and minimizing the risk of cyberattacks.

  1. Conduct internet security training
  2. Define rules and a policy for the proper use of the company's
  3. Use strong
  4. Have a good antivirus program on all your devices.
  5. Keep systems and software up to date.
  6. Avoid using pirated software.
  7. Back up your company data.
  8. Protect remote access.
  9. Control internet access.
  10. firewall system.

In the article "Best practices for internet security for businesses" you will find more tips and ways to apply each of these actions in your company.


What is the employee's role in the company's internet security?

Investing in internet security for businesses, especially for employee use, is becoming increasingly necessary.

According to the Cybercrime Magazine website, cybercrime will cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025 .

The key point here is the employee's role in this process, which, incidentally, is a determining factor in the vast majority of cases of data security breaches in companies.

In short, instead of exposing themselves by directly attacking organizational networks, where they know many protection and detection mechanisms are in place, hackers attack the weakest link in the chain : the user. This highlights the crucial role of employees in ensuring the company's internet security .

Examples of attacks resulting from employee errors, often minor ones, have been reported numerous times on various technology news portals.

To help you understand better, we've listed below the main reasons why employees are directly involved in the company's internet security.

  • Opening and clicking on fake emails
  • Clicks on fake ads on social media
  • Access to harmful websites
  • Downloading malicious files
  • Dissemination of confidential information
  • Installing pirated software
  • Photos in the workplace showing confidential documents , passwords , and

How can you identify vulnerabilities in a company's internet security?

Do you know what internet security risks your company faces daily? The best way to avoid such problems is to identify vulnerabilities as quickly as possible.

A company can only protect itself if it knows where attacks might come from . A giant shield in front of you is useless if your back is unprotected.

To give you an idea of ​​the importance of the topic, according to research by Kaspersky, Brazil leads in the number of companies attacked by ransomware during the epidemic . And that's just one type of attack: ransomware. There are many others.

Therefore, observing and identifying where security gaps might be in the company's network is extremely important.

Below, we list some ways to identify your company's internet security vulnerabilities and some helpful tips on where to look:

  • Check for the presence of security software on all devices.
  • Check if all systems are up to date.
  • the company network have a firewall system
  • Check for pirated software on your devices; it can contain many dangers.
  • Be aware that remote connections may contain security vulnerabilities.
  • Is there any way to control access to websites considered harmful?
  • Run an internet security test.

Look for vulnerabilities in the company's network; otherwise, hackers will look for you.


How can employees be kept safe from cyberattacks?

Controlling them and keeping them away from the dangers of the internet is perhaps one of the biggest challenges for managers and IT professionals in companies.

Inexperienced, careless, and untrained employees put company data at risk every day , making them easy targets for cyberattacks.

To better understand the gravity of the situation, the summary of cyberattacks from September 2020 published by the Trescon portal highlighted the shocking cyberattacks targeting the Vatican.

If a religious organization is the target of a cyberattack , why wouldn't ordinary companies, with employees lacking knowledge and accessing whatever they want within the company premises, also be a target?

Below, we list good ways to keep employees safe from cyberattacks :

  • Take internet security training
  • Implement a safe internet use policy at work.
  • Use basic tools internet security
    • Use strong and secure passwords
    • Use a good antivirus and anti-malware program on all your devices
    • Keep your equipment, systems, and software always up to date
    • Avoid using pirated software
    • Back up your company data
  • Control internet access.
  • Use a business VPN for remote access.

Don't leave the company's internet security to the knowledge and goodwill of employees ; keep systems and employees protected and monitored.


Accounting firm improved internet security in 20 minutes

Many companies are seeking ways to increase internet security in order to protect their data and employees. Many of them possess confidential data considered vital to the healthy functioning of the business, as is the case with Percont Accounting Office.

Using Lumiun, the Percont Office increased its internet security in just 20 minutes , thus protecting the company's data and that of all its clients against any cyberattack.

Below you will find a brief account of how Lumiun is used as an internet security tool by the company.

About Percont

Percont Accounting Office began its accounting activities in 1987 in Ijuí, Rio Grande do Sul. With over 30 years of experience, it has worked in the areas of Accounting, Expertise, Consulting, and Auditing. Today, it has a significant presence in the legal field, in Tax Law and Labor Law.

In his work environment, he uses extremely sensitive and important documents from his clients, considering internet security a relevant factor for the full operation of his company.

What are your main concerns?

Company internet security!

Before seeking out Lumiun, Celso had concerns related to the company's internet security, due to news and reports of companies that suffered cyberattacks and had their data hijacked.

“I sought out Lumiun primarily for data security . I have witnessed cyberattacks on companies near mine. At Percont, we are very concerned with maintaining the highest possible security for our clients' data and information,” says Celso, partner at the Percont law firm.

How did the firm improve the company's internet security?

With the implementation of Lumiun on the office network, Celso had several tools at his disposal to enhance the company's internet security, which was his main concern.

In its day-to-day work, the Percont office primarily uses Lumiun's internet access control , which allow for easy blocking of access to harmful or work-related websites, and also Lumiun's Firewall to protect employees and company data against any type of cyberattack.

The Lumiun deployment process takes an average of 20 minutes , due to its simplicity and fast connectivity. No technical knowledge is required , nor are there any processes to reorganize the company's internet network.


How can you improve your company's internet security with Lumiun?

The search for tools and solutions for internet security increases as new cyberattacks are reported.

High-speed internet, always-connected equipment, online and interconnected systems, cloud-based services and data storage – all of this is contributing to enabling companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to significantly increase their productivity and become more competitive in the market.

However, alongside all this technology and available services, there are security risks that the internet "offers ," which requires companies to take steps to improve their internet security and protect their business and customer information.

Since 2015, Lumiun has been helping companies stay secure and productive online , becoming a benchmark for ease of use and satisfactory results in its solution for the vast majority of its clients.

About Lumiun

Lumiun is a solution focused on internet management in companies , offering greater internet security and empowering managers and IT professionals .

With its cloud-based service, Lumiun prevents attacks on the company network , allows the implementation of an internet access policy , increases network security , protects and enforces access rules for all devices connected to the local network, and reduces wasted time and improves employee focus on the internet.

Lumiun includes features such as:

  • Internet Access Control
  • Firewall
  • Business VPN
  • Internet Traffic Management
  • Comprehensive, real-time management reports

Furthermore, the process of installing Lumiun on the company's network takes an average of 20 minutes . It only requires connecting 2 network cables to the Lumiun Box and quickly configuring the equipment that will be part of the Lumiun protection system, and that's it, the company's internet network will have an extra layer of protection.

The panel is intuitive, and in just a few clicks you can define specific access rules and blocks, for example. See more details in the article How to improve your company's internet security with Lumiun .


#10

Free Internet Security Resources for Businesses

To help you improve your company's internet security, we've selected our best resources on the subject.

We periodically strive to produce materials that can help business owners, managers, and IT professionals in their quest to improve internet security for their companies.

Below, you will find tools, ebooks, documents, infographics, guides, and kits with free educational content that can be applied to human resources and internet management in companies.

Feel free to share with your colleagues and friends, they're all free!

With Lumiun's internet security test, you can identify if websites in categories considered harmful are allowed access on your network.

You can access your internet security test using the button below:

A checklist containing all the information you need to quickly and easily increase your company's internet security.

You can download the material using the button below:

In this material, we cover the main ways the internet is used and how to protect yourself in each case. We also show the different types of connections that exist and how to identify threats on the network. In addition, on the last page, we provide a bonus to help your company with information security.

You can download the manual by clicking the button below:

Learn how to create and manage your passwords to prevent them from being discovered

  •  Rules for creating strong and secure passwords
  •  Ways that passwords can be discovered
  •  How to prevent and avoid having your passwords discovered
  •  Methods and systems for password management

Protecting yourself online might take some effort, but it's important to follow safety procedures to avoid or at least minimize problems. It's also important to be aware of those around you, so advise your colleagues and friends!

According to Law No. 13.709 – General Law on the Protection of Personal Data (LGPD) , this document is important to obtain the consent of the employee or user so that their personal data can be used by the company or shared with partners.

In this eBook, with fantastic illustrations, you'll find the year's biggest security flaws and all the details. Plus, you'll also find 10 tips to protect your business.

Download the step-by-step guide on how to set up a VPN in your company and improve remote connectivity for employees.

The IT Guide brings together various tool tips for each area of ​​small and medium-sized businesses. Download the eBook to read it whenever you want.

To help entrepreneurs and managers adapt to, implement, and sustain remote work, we created the Home Office Guide for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.


Download the eBook for this content.

No time to read now? Download the eBook with all the content on this page and definitively learn what Internet Security .