We live in the 21st century and everything is digital, therefore online. Therefore, many companies now know how important it is to ensure the security of their assets. Some organizations prioritize the security of physical assets and fail to protect digital assets. However, it is essential to protect digital assets from cyber threats. These assets, like all of your company’s assets, have value and need to be protected.
Because so much of our lives take place online these days, our digital footprint is growing.
Due to this, the number of cyberattacks and hacker attacks is on the rise as well, and you may be wondering how best to protect your business.
In this guest post, we will discuss what digital assets are and why it is critical to ensure cyber security.
What are digital assets?
A digital asset is anything that is in digital form and has value.
Digital assets are files and data residing on a digital computer system or on a storage medium. The number of digital assets on the Internet is growing rapidly as the very number of digital devices we use, especially smartphones, is also growing exponentially. Digital assets are at the heart of a company’s brand and help drive engagement online.
These assets can be at high risk as they are accessed by multiple users and are highly desirable for cybercriminals who want to hack into your system and take your data hostage.
They can also be sold independently, meaning a company can declare expenses and even receive tax deductions on their digital assets. As the world becomes more digital, owners of digital assets must treat them like physical assets.
How to protect digital assets
As technology advances, so do the ways in which criminals can use it. Cybersecurity is becoming more important than ever. If you want to protect your digital assets, take steps to protect your data now. The best first-step is to conduct a complete asset discovery.
- Secure your internet
The theft of digital information has become the most common form of fraud. So whether a company plans to use cloud computing or just use email and run a website, cybersecurity should be part of the plan.
At a time when cyber threats are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated, keeping your network secure is more important than ever. Make sure to invest in a secure and dependable internet infrastructure. We recommend exploring Cox, a popular Internet Service Provider (ISP) for this. You can contact Cox customer service to avail of their plans and find what is suitable for you.
An important line of defense for your digital assets is a secure firewall to monitor the traffic. Another option is to protect your Wi-Fi network and make sure it uses WPA2 encryption and that you have a strong password. It would be helpful if you also consider using a VPN to encrypt all communications between devices on your network. A VPN creates a secure, encrypted tunnel between your devices and the internet, making it harder for hackers to steal your information.
- Educate and train employees
Teach your employees how to properly handle digital security and passwords.
You can start by implementing a policy that documents must be deleted or otherwise destroyed after they have been used in a project. Organizations should also require employees, freelancers, clients, and consultants to sign confidentiality agreements (NDAs) to protect their digital assets. Asking partners and team members to maintain confidentiality also serves as a useful reminder of the importance of the digital data they have access to.
You can also encourage all employees to practice best practices when using credentials. This means that you do not use weak or standard admin/system passwords; instead, consider using strong language. Also, make sure your employees have received proper security training to prevent phishing attacks and malware downloads.
- Two-factor Authentication
Restricting employee access is one way to protect your data from hackers. However, beyond that, you need to add another layer of security in the form of two-factor authentication (2FA).
Multi-factor authentication is a security method that requires a system user to provide more than one identity before being allowed access to a system or account. By requiring two types of identification, 2FA helps prevent unauthorized access to accounts and systems, even if the password or PIN has been compromised.
- Encrypt important assets
Encryption is one of the core elements of cybersecurity. This feature is used to help protect data from tampering, theft, or deletion. How it works is that you encrypt the data into a secret code that can be accessed only with a unique digital key.
This trend is becoming critical more and more every day, and this will only grow as the digital era keeps developing progressively.
Conclusion
Planning for and securing digital assets is one of the most crucial aspects of a business. The real challenge is to reduce risks associated with relevant data, by using the right blend of people, and technology. With the above-mentioned tips you can easily get started with the basics of cybersecurity.
