New Year, New Strategy
The new year offers a fresh start, making it the ideal time to reassess and make important changes in both personal and professional life. The beginning of a new year presents a clean slate—an opportunity to set new goals, adopt better habits, and improve systems. As we transition into 2025, businesses can take this moment to evaluate their IT security, streamline operations, and ensure their digital infrastructure is prepared for the year ahead. Let’s start the year with confidence, knowing your security is in good hands.
1. Improve My Password Management
Using the same password for multiple accounts or relying on easy to guess ones make it easier for a breach to take place. This is especially dangerous for businesses where a breach can mean financial loss, or access to sensitive information.
Resolution:
Adopt strong, unique passwords for each account and enhance security by using a reliable password manager to securely store and manage them.
2. Be More Mindful of Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are one of the most prevalent cyber threats. Cyber criminals are professionals at tricking individuals through deceptive emails, texts, links or more designed to steal sensitive information. The consequences of falling victim to phishing can be severe, from data breaches and financial loss to compromising your company’s reputation. Since employees are often the first line of defense against these attacks, it is important to foster awareness and be more mindful of these attempts as it can ultimately improve your security standpoint.
Resolution: Make it a habit to read every email carefully, scrutinizing the sender, subject, and any links or attachments. Pay close attention to any unusual requests or urgent language, as these are common signs of phishing attempts. Always verify the authenticity of emails that seem suspicious—when in doubt, reach out to the sender through a trusted channel before taking any action. Encourage your team to adopt the same cautious approach, ensuring that no one falls victim to phishing scams.
3. Keep My Devices Clean and Organized
Over time, devices can accumulate unnecessary files, outdated software, and unorganized data, which can lead to reduced performance and increased vulnerability. Clean and organized devices ensure smoother operations and reduce security risks.
Resolution: Make it a habit to read every email carefully, scrutinizing the sender, subject, and any links or attachments. Pay close attention to any unusual requests or urgent language, as these are common signs of phishing attempts. Always verify the authenticity of emails that seem suspicious—when in doubt, reach out to the sender through a trusted channel before taking any action. Encourage your team to adopt the same cautious approach, ensuring that no one falls victim to phishing scams.
The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, with new threats and vulnerabilities emerging regularly. Staying informed and educated about these developments is essential to staying ahead of potential risks.
Resolution: Make it a habit to read every email carefully, scrutinizing the sender, subject, and any links or attachments. Pay close attention to any unusual requests or urgent language, as these are common signs of phishing attempts. Always verify the authenticity of emails that seem suspicious—when in doubt, reach out to the sender through a trusted channel before taking any action. Encourage your team to adopt the same cautious approach, ensuring that no one falls victim to phishing scams.
5. Be More Mindful of Data Privacy
Think of your data like your most valuable personal belongings—you wouldn’t leave your house unlocked or your wallet lying around, so treat your data the same way. Be mindful of where and how your information is stored, shared, and accessed. Data breaches are very common, and protecting sensitive information is critical for both businesses and individuals. Mishandling or neglecting data privacy can lead to fines, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust.
Resolution: Start by understanding who has access to your information and where it’s stored. Use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and avoid sharing sensitive details over unsecured networks. Be mindful of your digital footprint, you can reduce risks and ensure your information remains safe.
6. Cyber Insurance
In today’s digital age, even with the best precautions, no organization is immune to cyber threats. Cyber insurance acts as a safety net, providing financial protection and support in the event of a breach, ransomware attack, or other cybersecurity incidents. It ensures your business can recover quickly without devastating financial repercussions.
Resolution: Evaluate your current cybersecurity measures and ask CATS about comprehensive cyber insurance options. We ensure that your policy covers areas such as data recovery, business interruption, and liability for sensitive data breaches.
7. Understand Your IT Support
Your IT support team is the backbone of your organization’s digital infrastructure and IT security. Knowing when and how to engage with them can save time and prevent small issues from becoming major problems.
Resolution: Build a strong relationship with the CATS Technology support team, you’ll ensure smoother operations and faster resolutions throughout the year. Familiarize yourself with the technicians, and the various ways to get in touch with them. You have the ability to live chat, call, and even email regarding your issues. Get started exploring our Client Dashboard today.
