As a business, protecting your data and your assets is a number one priority. This rings true whether your company is a billion-dollar enterprise with thousands of employees or it’s just you, working for yourself. However, when it comes to envisioning cybersecurity measures when you’re a freelancer or part of a micro-company with ten employees or less, it can be hard to figure out what aspects and what level of protection is needed.
While deploying enterprise-level cybersecurity software on your desktop to thwart criminals may seem like a costly overstretch, implementing similar procedures on a smaller, more manageable scale is a great way to keep your work, finances, and client information secure. Consolidating this with an awareness of the latest threats and common tactics used by bad actors, freelancers can stay one step ahead and stay protected.
Threats to look out for
Cyberthreats are constantly emerging, adapting, and being invented. Staying up to date on the latest threats and learning what to look out for helps you to understand how to safeguard your work and your data best.
Common threats that can have devastating financial and reputation impact on freelancers and micro-companies if they result in successful breaches or losses include:
- Unpatched software: Unpatched software is, essentially, software that has been updated and has such left gaps in security that can be used as avenues by threat actors.
- Malware, ransomware, viruses, and more: Malware, ransomware, and viruses? Oh my. Malware is the most common form of cyberattack, with thousands of different types and different attack methods. The main goal is to harvest personal data and information. Ransomware is a cyberattack method that will render your device unusable by attackers until a “ransom” is paid. And finally, a virus is a malicious piece of code that travels from device to device, not unlike a real virus, to cause harm to devices and users.
- Phishing attacks: The main goal of phishing scams is to harvest personal data, which can be used for a number of things. Personal data can be used to access finances, data, and files which result in breaches and losses. Personal information is also frequently harvested and sold on to other cybercriminals for a wider use. However, phishing scams can also be used as an attack vector to install harmful malware or ransomware for further, deeper attacks.
More and more organizations are waking up to the dangers of cyberthreats and how their employees can often be the remaining line of defense to prevent a data breach. Security awareness training is a tool often employed by IT admins to alert their end-users to common and relevant cyberthreats, in the hopes of preventing and mitigating these attacks from happening.
Buying and deploying security awareness training for an individual or several workers is expensive overkill. However, a lot of vendors do provide free demos on their sites which is worth having a look at to see what kind of threats come up. Aside from that, independent research into basic cyberthreats helps you learn what you need to stay on the lookout for.
50 Phishing Stats You Should Know
How to secure your business
It’s good to bear these threats in mind when it comes to devising ways to protect you, your business, and your personal information. The most important step is getting your devices secured, which can be achieved through a few measures. Devices such as mobile phones and laptops are a lifeline for freelancers – these items are crucial for communication, finance, and getting work done. These devices are often multi-purpose, with many sole workers using them for personal use as well – heightening the importance of having them secured even more.
So, how do you secure them?
Backing Everything Up
Data breaches and losses cost companies millions worldwide every year. While the stakes may not be as high for the self employed and micro-organizations, data loss can still cost a few thousand dollars in lost revenue, lost personal information, lost work, and lost clients.
In the event that something catastrophic does happen, having your work and files backed up can be a lifesaver – and a business-saver. And it’s not just to protect your business in the event that threat actors get a hold of your data – accidents and malfunctions do happen, and precious work can be lost in the event of a system crash or hard drive failure.
On the whole, having your work backed up in a network-based solution is a lot more robust than having it saved on a hard drive. Visit our landing page on the best cloud backup vendors to learn what the best vendors are, what they offer, and which one is best suited to your needs.
Compare The Top Cloud Backup and Recovery Platforms
Password Managers
Passwords, if compromised, pose a serious risk to your information and data. They’re often an attack vector favored by threat actors simply because it’s such an easy avenue to take advantage of. The 2021 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report revealed that an uncomfortable 61% of hacking related breaches were successful because of compromised credentials.
Maintaining good password hygiene is pretty much critical to the overall cybersecurity health of you and your brand. Passwords that become easily compromised are short, easy to remember (and coincidentally, easy to guess) passwords. Good password hygiene involves using long, complex, and unpredictable passwords that are unique to each and every single account you use.
The problem with this is that these passwords are not very memorable. However, keeping a list of passwords to hand, either physical or digital, while you’re on the go also poses a serious potential risk as this can also easily be acquired by threat actors. Saving your credentials to your browser for easy login also presents an opportunity to attackers, who can harvest the data if they’ve managed to infect your device with malware.
A secure solution to these problems is password managers. Password managers are essentially a type of safe that keeps all your passwords in an encrypted vault and are guarded with one master password – which is the only password users need to remember. Password managers can suggest random, complex passwords for accounts, auto filling login credentials when prompted, and automatically sign into applications and platforms – saving time, effort, and reducing the risk of password fatigue.
There are a lot of password managers on the market. While many cater to large companies and enterprises, a lot also provide more reasonable plans and pricing for individuals and micro-companies. Some even offer their services for free to individuals. You can read about our list of top providers here:
The Top 10 Password Managers For Business
Patch Management
Let’s face it – updating your software is annoying at best and time consuming at worst. You’ve sat down at your device only to get hit with a request to install some software updates. While it might be tempting to click “skip”, skipping over these software updates leaves your device – and your data – vulnerable to potential cyberattacks.
Why? These software updates often contain various patch management updates. Think of software as a work in progress. Patches are essentially bits of code that are inserted into existing software to “patch” any vulnerabilities or gaps in security. Not letting your software update itself will leave your devices vulnerable. Often, it’s these gaps or weak points in security that are often capitalized on by attackers and used as an attack vector into a network.
Plenty of companies will have patch management software which will automate patching where necessary, across all connected endpoints in the network. Having a patch management software solution as a freelancer or micro-organization isn’t always necessary but installing patch updates is. The solution? Next time you get a request to update your software – don’t skip it. Click yes and sit back as the update works its magic. Take advantage of the time to fetch yourself a hard-earned coffee, knowing you’re securing your device and data at the same time.
For a more in-depth explanation of what patch management software is, how it works, and why you might need it, click here:
Antivirus Software
Regardless of company size or whether a device is used for work or personal use, having an antivirus solution installed on it is crucial in maintaining strong cybersecurity hygiene. Antivirus software is often deployed directly onto devices or through a network to provide endpoint security from the constant, daily bombardment of cyberthreats.
Antivirus solutions have plenty of benefits. They can detect, block, and remove threats such as viruses, ransomware, and malware; block phishing attempts; block or warn users about malicious sites they attempt to visit; scan the dark web to find out if credentials have been compromised and alert users; and instigate patch management updates.
Good solutions should be minimal effort – they should silently work away in the background, only alerting users when input is absolutely necessary. Updates – especially patch ones – should be done automatically. And lastly, all scanning should be done in real-time to deliver robust, round-the-clock threat prevention.
Plenty of antivirus solutions on the market combine a lot, if not all, of the suggested tools in this article. Solutions containing automated patch management, firewalls, and anti-malware strategies are now considered the norm and offered in one consolidated package.
Antivirus solutions for individuals are offered at reasonable prices from most vendors. For our top picks of antivirus vendors, click here:
The Top 10 Antivirus Software For Small Businesses
Email Security And Anti-phishing Solutions
If you want to get something done, chances are you’re going to have to use email to do it. It’s the number one method of communication for business. Our (over)reliance on email communication has led to it becoming perhaps the most popular attack vector for threat actors to take advantage of. Email phishing is the most common form of cyberattack aimed at businesses today because it’s so easy for attackers to deploy with devastating results. So much so in fact that CISCO revealed in their 2021 Cybersecurity Threat Trends report that roughly 90% of all data breaches stem from a successful phishing attempt.
It’s good to keep this in mind when in email communications with potential clients. Phishing emails are sent to end-users, with the sender posing as a trusted figure (either a specific individual or an organization), using a range of tactics to make an email appear legitimate. Tactics are getting more and more sophisticated and will be either technical or socially engineered in nature. The aim is to convince users to click on malicious links or files in the email, or just respond to the request with personal information or pay fraudulent invoices.
Having email encryption software installed, either as a standalone product or part of a larger security tool, can help keep valuable files and data secure. Top products to look out for would be ones that encrypt emails and their attachments regardless of whether it’s inbound or outbound mail. Antivirus or anti-phishing email solutions installed on your device can help prevent technical-based phishing scams, but socially engineered scams often slip past these defenses. As such, it’s good to train yourself on how phishing attacks function and what to look out for, so you can spot an attack when it appears in your inbox.
The Top 10 Phishing Protection Solutions
Question Everything Twice
And finally, question everything. Twice. In the search for their next gig, freelancers encounter an array of characters online – some of whom may not be who they say they are. Being mindful as you approach others and having others approach you can be the first line of defense when it comes to protecting you, your data, and your brand.
The adage, “If it’s too good to be true…” may get overused, but that’s only because it’s, unfortunately, often true. Stay mindful of peculiar requests, offers of large payments that don’t fit the task, individuals whose credentials don’t match company websites, as well as any links to dubious websites or potential malicious files sent as fraudulent invoices.
Summary
A digital nomad or a company of five might seem less appealing to attackers who may favor larger organizations that have more data and revenue at stake, but the reality couldn’t be more different. Freelancers and micro-organizations are often favored in cyberattacks simply because often the right protocols and security measures aren’t in place to withstand a breach. But just because you’re vulnerable doesn’t mean you can’t protect yourself.
Securing devices with a range of cybersecurity products, practicing good security hygiene, and being mindful of the dangers as you interact with potential clients and sites are all crucial to maintaining robust cybersecurity health. For a freelancer, your laptop is your lifeline – and it should be treated as such.
