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How secure are your company’s communication channels?

digital communication

Let’s be honest: no company is safe from cyberhacking, and no communication platform is 100% secure. Over the past five years, hacking incidents have risen and even larger corporations aren’t exempt to them. One of their main targets is a company’s communication channels because so many things are sent to and from them–from confidential HR emails, to financial reports, to personal and private data. Hackers exploit any loophole they can find through these channels, so it’s best practice to keep all lines secure. 

The best way to see how secure your communication channels are is to test them. Cybersecurity experts use many methods, but we’ve boiled them all down to 3 steps. Read on to find out what you can do to keep your communications safe! 

  1. Conduct a security audit

This involves reviewing your company’s communication channels and systems to identify any vulnerabilities or weaknesses. Security audits can be done internally or with the help of a third-party security firm, if you’re really keen on keeping data privacy threats out. 

To cover all bases, the security audit should include analysis of the following: 

  • Data encryption protocols 
  • Access controls 
  • User authentication 
  • Other security measures in place (two-factor authentication, ID verification, etc.) 
  1. Implement penetration testing

Penetration testing involves simulating real-world cyber-attacks to test the strength of your communication channels. This will entail ethical hackers attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in your systems and identifying potential entry points for cybercriminals.  

This testing can help uncover any weaknesses or system bugs that need to be addressed to ensure the security of your communication channels. It might sound suspicious at first, but penetration testing has been proven effective in spotting security discrepancies that sometimes get overlooked.  

  1. Train and educate your employees

Often, the weakest link in any security system is human error. Ensure that your employees are trained in cybersecurity best practices, such as recognizing phishing emails, using strong passwords, and avoiding suspicious websites.  

An extra step could be regularly educating your employees and teams about the importance of secure communication and the potential risks involved in sharing sensitive information. Invite cybersecurity experts to hold a seminar or short talk, and come up with email “tests” in employee training to make people more aware of what these attempts could look like. 

With regular training and education, you can help mitigate the risks posed by human error, bugs, and data leaks, and improve the security of your communication channels. These ways are highly recommended no matter how big (or small) your company is. Stay safe and keep your info secure! 

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Paulo Rizal
Paulo Rizal
Paulo Rizal is a content producer for Comms Room. He writes content around popular media, journalism, social media, and more.