The news is rife with stories of hacking attacks on major companies, including Target, Sony, and the most famous, JP Morgan Chase and the big banks that were hacked in early 2014. In fact, JP Morgan Chase reported an 82% increase in phishing attacks in 2013 compared to 2012. So, what can companies do to stay ahead of hackers? How can you keep your company’s data protected? Here are seven tips to help you improve enterprise security management.
What are the things that good enterprise security requires?
Before you can improve enterprise security, you need to know what's necessary for good security. Ask yourself: does your company have a dedicated IT department? Is your software up-to-date and is it regularly updated? Are there important patches that need updating immediately? Does your company use physical tokens for login purposes or even biometric sensors like fingerprint readers or iris scanners? All of these are important aspects of having a strong security infrastructure in place. The more work you put into implementing effective security mechanisms, the less likely you are to experience a data breach and/or identity theft. Keep in mind that villains can get in one way, and as everyone else strives to secure thousands of potential entry points.
1) Training employees
Keeping your staff up-to-date on cybersecurity threats and best practices is vital. An education program that trains your employees on how to identify and respond to malware, phishing scams, and other hazards can help protect your company from security threats before they escalate. You should train at least once a year, or more often if an incident occurs that warrants a new round of training. Make sure your staff members understand their role in keeping information safe.
2) Use strong passwords
We’ve all heard it before: Use strong passwords. But do you really know what a strong password is? If not, it’s time to make 2018 your year of improved cybersecurity. To start, let’s walk through what a strong password actually is and how to create one. Here are some general guidelines for creating better passwords: Use longer passwords use at least 12 characters instead of 8 and don’t rely on dictionary words or your own information like birthdays or nicknames. For extra security, use a mix of letters (upper and lowercase), numbers, and symbols; Avoid using obvious answers like single names or last words in sentences; Don’t share them ever!
3) Encrypt data at rest
Data encryption is used when data is stored on storage media, and cryptographic keys are used in order to control read/write access. There are two general approaches to encryption: symmetric and asymmetric. Symmetric Key Encryption uses a single key for both encrypting and decrypting data. Asymmetric Key Encryption uses two keys (private and public). A key can be either a code number or series of numbers used by computers as part of a specific method of coding information. Examples include Code Book, Morse Code, Playfair Cipher, Caesar Cipher, Two-Square Cipher, ROT13 Cipher, etc.
4) Encrypt data in transit
As Edward Snowden’s leaks continue to raise awareness of data security and its importance, it’s becoming more apparent that encryption is a must-have for any enterprise. Encrypting data in transit will help ensure unauthorized users can’t access private information. Whether you choose a hardware or software solution depends on your network infrastructure; however, be sure that whichever you choose complies with applicable regulations like GDPR or PCI-DSS. Without proper protocols in place, an unauthorized party could easily steal sensitive data while it’s in transit. Make sure that sensitive information is encrypted at all times whether it’s inside your company or traveling from one location to another.
5) Build security into each layer of your stack.
Cloud computing has taken off in recent years because it’s a more efficient, cost-effective way for companies to store their data. But not all cloud environments are created equal. Ideally, you want a managed cloud service like Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure that will handle things like backup and access control for you. This is particularly important if your company deals with sensitive data, as that information is vulnerable no matter where it's stored. Managed clouds also have stronger security practices in place; one study found that 96 percent of Amazon Web Services users who experienced a data breach reported using their own public cloud infrastructure rather than AWS.
6) Implement measures to ensure security in cloud environments
Many organizations are now moving their workloads to cloud platforms but with that move comes a whole new level of security risks. Cybercriminals can now also take advantage of public cloud resources such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. Protecting your organization’s data stored in a cloud environment requires additional measures that may be different from traditional data center security controls. One way to reduce risk is by implementing security measures across all layers of a multitenant public cloud platform. This includes network isolation on hardware and software levels, access control mechanisms and detection capabilities at various levels within systems and applications.
7) Use multiple authentication methods.
There are several ways to secure an account, and you should utilize them all. If a hacker has compromised your password or username, two-factor authentication can ensure your security. In addition, look for multi-factor authentication whenever possible; it provides another layer of protection that helps safeguard against breaches and identify theft. You can also ask your IT department if they offer two-step verification; if so, request that they turn it on for you. It’s free and often effective at keeping people out of your accounts unless they have access to your physical device as well as your username and password.
Conclusion
You may not always feel like your organization is in need of improvements, but with every employee relying on IT and every company at risk of security breaches, it’s important to stay aware of potential threats. This guide has helped you understand some steps you can take to improve your security. Now it’s time for action. Get out there and help keep enterprise data safe!
Summary 
The importance of company-wide security awareness and education cannot be overstated. The single biggest problem with securing a network is having users who have weak, or even non-existent, password habits. Whether it’s sharing passwords with friends and family, using a dictionary word for their password or writing them down on a sticky note stuck to their monitor, most users make security mistakes that leave their organization vulnerable. Of course there are plenty of other IT issues that can hinder your ability to keep corporate data secure – poor patch management, unsecure wireless networks and employees running unapproved programs on work machines – but when it comes right down to it, 80% of common IT problems can be traced back to user error.

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