Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Common cybersecurity mistakes to avoid

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a great time for businesses to recognize and understand the common cybersecurity mistakes that your business may be making. By identifying these vulnerabilities, you can take proactive steps to avoid them and strengthen your organization’s defenses against cyberthreats. 

Here are the common cybersecurity mistakes to look out for and avoid.

Having weak password practices

Weak passwords continue to be a major security vulnerability in 2024. Despite ongoing awareness campaigns, many SMBs still struggle with password hygiene, making them easy targets for cyberattacks. Weak, reused, or stolen passwords could put businesses at risk of data breaches. 

To protect your business, follow these password practices:

• Keep passwords private — do not share them with anyone.
• Use unique passwords for all accounts.
• Make passwords long to make them harder to crack. Better yet, use passphrases. 
• Use a password manager to create and store strong, unique passwords for every account, saving you the hassle (and from the security risk) of remembering them all.
• Enable multifactor authentication to add another layer of security on top of passwords. 

Ignoring software updates

Cybercriminals are constantly looking for vulnerabilities in software to exploit, and software updates patch these security holes. By delaying software updates, you leave your systems exposed to known threats.

It’s best to enable automatic updates whenever possible to ensure your software is always up to date. You should also regularly check for updates and apply them promptly. Taking a few minutes to keep your software current can significantly reduce your risk of a cyberattack.

Not providing security awareness training to employees

Cybercriminals often launch cyberattacks that prey on human error rather than technical flaws. For example, in a phishing attack, cybercriminals pose as legitimate entities to trick employees into revealing sensitive information. 

To defend against these threats, invest in employee security awareness training. Train employees to recognize common signs of phishing attacks, including:

• Suspicious sender addresses
• Grammatical and spelling errors
• Urgency and scare tactics
• Unexpected links and attachments

Having no incident response plan

Even the best defenses can fail, so having a plan for responding to a cyberattack is essential. Without a structured response plan, your business risks prolonged downtime, data loss, and reputational damage.

A strong incident response plan should:

• Define roles and responsibilities for key staff during an incident.
• Outline procedures for identifying, containing, and recovering from attacks.
• Include regular reviews and updates to address new threats as they emerge.

This proactive approach not only minimizes damage during an incident but also enables your business to recover more quickly and maintain continuity.

Ignoring mobile security

With the rise of remote and hybrid work, employees often access sensitive company data from multiple devices outside the office. Securing these devices is paramount to keep your business and client data safe from breaches and other threats.

Here’s how to secure mobile devices:

• Require employees to set passwords or use biometrics such as fingerprint or facial recognition for device access.
• Encrypt data stored on mobile devices so that even if a device gets lost or stolen, unauthorized parties won’t be able to access the data it contains.
• Install security apps to protect against cyberthreats when accessing company data on public Wi-Fi networks.
• Encourage employees to report lost or stolen devices right away to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to company data.

Not partnering with a managed IT services provider (MSP)

Cybersecurity demands dedicated resources and expertise that many SMBs may not have in house. Partnering with an MSP offers specialized support, including 24/7 monitoring, rapid threat response, and proactive protection against emerging risks.

At SpectrumWise, we implement seven layers of security to provide comprehensive defense against all types of cyberthreats. Schedule a consultation with us today to learn how we can keep your business protected during Cybersecurity Awareness Month and beyond.