Top malware prevention measures for 2021

Every year, hundreds of businesses and users fall prey to malware and phishing attacks. Despite so much being written and experts warning time and again, it seems many organizations are still not taking this cybersecurity concern on priority. Malware stands for malicious software. There are different kinds of malware, right from virus, worms and trojans, to ransomware, adware, and spyware. Each one has a specific use for cybercriminals and hackers. The good news is staying protected against malware doesn’t demand a lot – All it takes a few proactive measures. We are sharing some of the best malware prevention measures for 2021 for different businesses. 

Install software, OS and firmware updates

There’s a reason why various developers and software manufacturers release updates for their products. These updates offer fixes for glitches, bugs and concerns that may be otherwise exploited by hackers. Ensure that software, OS and firmware updates are installed on priority. Also, the software or programs that are no longer in use, ask your teams to uninstall the same. 

Protect your hardware

Malware attacks do happen through hardware. Check who has access to networked devices and take appropriate steps to ensure that access rights are managed well. Employees, unfortunately, remain the biggest loophole in ensuring cybersecurity and malware protection, and you have to ensure that physical protection infrastructure and hardware is not ignored. 

Use the basic antimalware measures

There are antimalware programs available in the market, including antispyware, anti-ransomware, and antivirus. Consider installing the best ones on your PC, desktops and laptops. Secondly, ensure that employees know about safe browsing, and more importantly, they should know have a fair idea of phishing attacks and social engineering tactics that hackers often use. Next, consider recommending a spam filter, so that email usage is more secure at the workplace. 

Password protection and authentication

When it comes to authentication, you have to be a tad more cautious with passwords. Ensure that multifactor authentication is enabled for specific users, customers, and managers, and keep an eye on privilege account users. Consider using added means of authentication, like onetime passwords, pins, and even security questions and biometrics. If your employees are not using a password management tool as yet, recommend one that can be trusted. 

Malware prevention is also about taking action on time. Ensure that you have backups of data, and schedule network testing and penetration, so that malicious hidden files can be located. Check online for the best-rated antimalware software programs.