COVID-19 was a global crisis that shook up more than the healthcare industry. As the virus spread, more companies had to pivot from working in the office to remote or hybrid work models. With this unique challenge for IT came added security risks that hackers preyed on.

Along with back-to-school season, Halloween decorations hitting the shelves, and the beloved pumpkin spice latte making its reappearance, there's another often-overlooked event this fall: National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October. With 1 in 5 small businesses experiencing a cyber-attack, it’s a good time to make sure yours is safe and secure with this checklist of the top 7 things you can do.

Email is a basic tool in the business world, and where serious exchanges between companies and clients occur. For entrepreneurs and businesses with high-value clients, email communication makes it easy for them to exchange sensitive information. However, cybercriminals are outsmarting email security protocols and breaching business email accounts.

As the world continues to shift towards a more digital platform, online safety and cybersecurity become more important. Cybersecurity involves various technologies, practices, and laws intended to secure computer networks, devices, and data from unauthorized access, theft, or damage.

Cybersecurity has been a significant obstacle for businesses since computers were first introduced as a helpful tool. Unfortunately, there’s no end in sight for cyber attacks. They are expected to grow at an exceptional rate. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrime will hit $8 trillion in 2023 and grow to $10.5 trillion by 2025.

With the looming threat of a potential recession and economic downturn, many professional service firms are looking to reduce costs and increase efficiency in preparation. Many are also looking to adjust to a hybrid work environment that looks to be here to stay and overall relying more and more on digital communication platforms to recruit talent and grow their business. At the same time, many in the industry are looking ahead to what changes AI will have for professional service firms and the resources they will need. Central to all of these issues and trends is a move by firms to increase their digital footprint and rely more and more on technology to drive their business. There is a catch, though. With this digital migration comes increased risk and exposure to cyber-attacks. On average, an attack can cost a small to medium-sized business $2.2 million. In addition to this, professional service organizations like law firms and accounting firms are particularly appealing to bad actors, given the volume and nature of the data they hold for their firm and its clients. All hope is not lost, though. By implementing a security- first approach, professional service firms can ensure that as their digital footprint grows, so does their digital security. In simple terms, a security-first approach can be defined by the old adage, "the best defense is a good offense". By proactively addressing issues before they occur or spotting them and addressing them early on, service firms can help minimize their risk. But what does this look like for your IT infrastructure? A few of the key elements of a security-first are:

One of the most daunting threats to any business is having your data stolen and then leaked or sold on the dark web. The dark web is a shadowy part of the internet inaccessible to most users.

Hackers don’t always appear as creepy, dark figures wearing hoodies and typing away at lines of code. Most of the time, they can look like any average person. They can also get onto your network through a variety of unsuspecting ways, and yes, even through toner cartridges.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is one of the best security measures for your business’ network. It’s such an essential security measure that some managed service providers and even cybersecurity insurance companies will refuse to work with businesses not utilizing MFAs.

There are many types of securities to invest in for your business. Multi-factor authentication, endpoint detections, and VPNs are among them. According to Garter, spending on information security and risk management will reach $188.336 billion in 2023.