Imagine what would happen if your company’s data was compromised. Cybercrime can cause a company to lose money, credibility and customer trust. Cyber criminals work hard to gain access to your files and personal information. Needless to say, protecting your company against cybercrime should be a priority.

Don’t Rely on Firewalls Alone

Just because your company’s network is protected by a firewall doesn’t mean it’s totally safe. While the use of mobile marketing, desktop mobility and social media make branding and engagement easier, these new technologies also make data much more vulnerable to malicious threats. Because the threats are constantly evolving, the approach to cyber security has to follow suit.

Install Helpful Software

Anti-virus software like McAfee or Norton Anti-Virus can help reduce the risk of cybercrime and protect your network computers from viruses that destroy data and even crash your system.

Anti-spy software such as Webroot or SpyHunter protect against spyware that can easily be installed on your computer without your knowledge. Spyware does exactly what its name implies: It monitors how you surf the web, even the keystrokes you use.

Keep All of Your Software Up to Date

Downloading anti-spy and anti-virus software is not enough. You need to make sure your software is always up to date. Most software will update automatically without you having to do anything, but you may want to check for updates each week. There are new threats daily, so keep up with them.

Look Out for Common Scams

Be aware of “drive-by downloads.” These common scams are how cyber criminals get malware onto your computer, so be mindful before you click on any strange links. For instance, if you get a pop-up box for a “free virus scan,” be careful. This malware scam is very prevalent, so make sure your team knows never click on that link.

Be suspicious of anyone asking you for bank details or credit card information, even if it looks legitimate. When in doubt, always call your bank or credit card company and inquire if they’ve sent you the email or if they are behind the promotion you saw online.

Monitor BLADE

BLADE stands for Block All Drive-by Exploits and is a new Windows immunization system that prevents drive-by downloads from infecting vulnerable Windows hosts. BLADE is currently in testing stages and will be available to download soon.

Monitor Online Activity

Protecting your network and end users from cybercrime should be a top priority for organizations. An easy way to do this is to uses monitoring software that limits user access to certain types of sites. It’s also a great idea to sit down with employees and have a frank discussion about the realities and dangers of cybercrime. If end users are surfing the web, they need to be aware of the dangers that exist for the entire network.

Cybercrime is constantly changing, so it is important to not only be aware of it, but to always keep your organization one step ahead.

About The Guest Author:     Erin Palmer is a contributor to U.S News University Directory.

Computer Crime Photo via Shutterstock