When your employees click on a seemingly innocuous link or open an attachment to an email, they can be exposing your network to threats like phishing, trojan horses, or ransomware. Fundamentally, a virus is a program that infiltrates your network by infecting files on a computer or your network and then makes copies of itself. Cybercriminals have become stealthier by creating viruses that infect your system without being discovered for extended periods. These viruses remain latent until they can do the most damage to your network.

 

In today’s threat landscape, viruses are typically spread via email messages. Once they’ve infected a computer or network, they can do the same things that the programs on your computer can do. They can delete or damage the files and programs on your computer or even reformat your hard drives. To protect your network from viruses, the first step is to protect your email systems and educate your staff. Here are three tips to get you started.

Prioritize Antivirus Software

 

Reliable antivirus software is your network’s first line of defense when someone accidentally opens that malicious email attachment. You only get out what you are willing to put into your software. Make sure you’re using antivirus software from a credible vendor, and someone on your team is held accountable for regularly updating and installing patches on your systems. Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to exploit your systems, so if you aren’t regularly updating your defenses, it’s only a matter of time before an attack comes along that your virus protection isn’t prepared for.

 

Educate Your Team

 

Educating your team is the first step to take if you want to protect your network from email threats. If nobody ever clicks that malicious link, you won’t have to worry about whether or not your antivirus software will detect the virus. However, as humans, we are prone to error. Training your team to tell the difference between legitimate and malicious emails is well worth the time because it will likely end up saving you from additional IT costs and network downtime.

 

Backup Your Data

 

In the event that your network or a computer is breached by an infected email, data loss or corrupt files are a very real possibility. If your business depends on your network for day-to-day operations, the stakes have become too high to not invest in a holistic network backup solution. Sixty percent of businesses that lose their critical data will shut down within six months of the disaster. The best way to protect against data loss is by implementing a backup system of some sort that prepares you to recover in the event of an attack.

 

If your business wants to take your network security up a notch, contact our team today, and we’ll get started on developing a customized [managed security] solution that holistically covers all of your network security needs.