Malware or Malicious software is software or web content designed to cause harm. These include computer Viruses, Worms, Trojans and Spyware attacks. All these different types of malicious software are designed to cause harm by destroying or distributing your private company data and employee personal information.
One of the most damaging worldwide cyber attacks in recent history was the WannaCry ransomware back in 2017 where computers around the globe were infected and lost their data. Malware can target any Operating System (OS) anywhere in the world, not just your grandmother’s unpatched Microsoft Windows 95 PC.
This checklist can help to minimise the possible malware damaging your small business and your employees.
You can also check out some of our other cyberattack related content such as signs of phishing attacks and keep your passwords protected and secure.
Designed to prevent, detect, and remove software viruses, and other malicious software like worms, trojans, adware.
Set up automatic scans to run regularly check your devices to make sure you do not forget. Delete any infected files.
Keep the software updated.
Firewalls give protection between your own network and external networks like the Internet.
Making sure software and firmware is kept up to date with the latest updates and patches for newly-discovered vulnerabilities.
Software updates are the core way products decrease their security exposure to possible exploits by patching their software.
Dont ignore requests to update your OS as you are putting your computer at risk of getting infected with malware.
For Mac/PC users, avoid using any untrusted software while installing any software on your operating system.
For iOS/Android users, only install from manufacturer-approved stores like Google or Apple. Apps are checked before being released to provide a certain level of protection from malware.
It can be so easy to plug in an infected USB stick. This can lead to everything from logging your passwords to fully compromising a system.
An example of this is a USB Rubber Ducky which attackers can use to exfiltrate your small businesses data and users.
Only use trusted networks and software that have security measures in place and use encryption to secure data in transit.
Always make sure that your browser and software are using SSL/TLS to secure your traffic.On top of that use proxies, and/or Virtual Private Network (VPN) with strong encryption wherever possible if you have to use untrusted networks.
Always think twice before connecting to untrusted WiFi routers, especially when you are on the go. WiFi such as the “Free WiFi” sound great on the surface but an attacker could be lying in wait for your traffic to be sent to them.
Home and Business wireless networks should be using WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access v2) protocol to security protect your network.
Attackers can also have names that are similar or exactly the same as your Home or Office networks. If you are requested to “enter your WiFi password” and the password hasn’t changed, consult with you WiFi admin to check if the password has changed.
Make sure that every website you connect to (especially with business and/or personal data) uses TLS/SSL. This can be checked in your browser by locking for a padlock icon next to the web address.
Before downloading any files from anyone, check what the file type is (most browsers will warn you if a potentially malicious file is being downloaded) and scan it with your Anti-Virus. This includes anything from family and friends to business partners and customers.
When opening emails, be mindful of both links in the page and attachments which contain malware.
Links can send you to phishing attack websites that can steal your data or submit web requests to on your behalf.
Does the running of your business include several repetitive tasks? If there’s no guidance or procedure in place, it’s possible for some of the steps in the process to get forgotten. This is why checklists are important.
People get distracted, and when something gets forgotten, it’s much harder to recover than if they’d completed the task right in the first place.
Guidance every step of the way makes sure something is completed perfectly every time.
Read More: Why is a Checklist Important?
We all carry enormous knowledge and experience that we want to apply effectively, but we are all prone to make mistakes. There’s only so much we can store in our heads without forgetting something. How to maximise our use of knowledge?
The simple answer to this problem is to use checklists.
How many types of checklists are there? Two. What are the two types of checklists? Read-Do and Do-Confirm checklists are about how you use checklists.
Read More: Types of checklist: What are the two most powerful Checklist Types?
A checklist is a way to document each step needed to complete a task. A detailed set of instructions, a guide of how something is done.
Checklist software allows you to document every step of a process to be used over and over again.
Read More: Checklist Software