More and more police department internet systems are being held hostage for ransom, getting their valuable information leaked or stolen, and endangering the safety of the public. This shows us how much of a growing threat cybercrimes are becoming for government and law enforcement.
With hackers being interested in the stealing of compromising data, some departments within law enforcement agencies become an easy target simply because of outdated technology or inadequate training. Preventing criminals from committing cybercrimes is never easy, but there are ways increase your security and lower your risk.
Prevention Is the Best Defense
Chasing downs these cybercriminals is virtually impossible because more likely than not, these hackers can be on the complete other side of the world. Getting close would pose large technological requirements as well as the problem of jurisdictions come into play. So, an adequate system of prevention is going to be just as important as a good response to an attack.
High quality technology, large enterprise level security and software with a centralized dashboard of all devices should be your front line for good data security. Though even with a great software in place, hackers are still able to get in.
There really is no such thing as a 100% safety from cybercriminals. You must always be on the lookout for incoming threats. Keeping an up-to-date system as well as creating a work environment with large emphasis on cybersecurity is what is going to keep you safe for longer.
Procedures and Practices for Security Measures
- Test and upgrade systems regularly
- Frequently remind, train & test your staff of the security requirements
- If leaving your computer unattended, remember to power it off first
- Only check your email on a network you know is secure
- If you ever send sensitive or confidential information through email; make sure it is encrypted
- Reframe from opening suspicious looking links or attachments, even if sender is a familiar name
Multi-factor Authentication is one of the most effective measures you can take when protecting your department against hackers. This allows you to add one or more steps on top of just using a password. Thus, adding even another layer of protection to your police department.
Now, what if this was not enough to prevent a cyberattack? Having all your important and sensitive information backed up will allow you to respond quickly and give you relief that you didn’t just lose everything. If your police department still does not have its data backed up, then that should be priority number one, before taking other preventative measures mentioned.
Contact us today to see how COMPU-DATA’s Data OnDemand™ can help protect your department from cybercriminals.