How to Secure Your Online Communications: A Simple Guide for Businesses

In the age of remote work, many businesses are heavily reliant on digital tools for day-to-day communications. Your team may not be working in the same room, but online communication platforms can make it feel like you are.

Online communication is great for efficiency, but can also put your organization at risk of cyberattacks and data breaches. Many cybercriminals will target professional communications in an attempt to steal sensitive consumer data.

To keep your communications safe, you’ll need to choose the right platforms and implement appropriate security measures. Here’s what you can do to secure your online communications and protect sensitive data.

Key Takeaways

• Choose communication platforms that offer up-to-date security features and align with your compliance needs.
• Use encryption and multi-factor authentication for extra layers of cybersecurity.
• Provide cybersecurity training sessions for your employees to help them avoid scams and data breaches.
• Install software patches and updates as soon as they become available to avoid system vulnerabilities.

Use Strong Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication

Think of your access control systems as the first line of defense for your organization. You’ll need reliable usernames, passwords, and two-factor authentication to keep cybercriminals out of your systems and keep your messages private. These practices should be implemented across every communication tool you use at work.

Your entire team should use unique passwords that are difficult for hackers to guess or crack. Ideally, passwords should be at least 12 characters long and contain a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. A password manager can help your team keep track of complex passwords, without having to memorize them.

Additionally, implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to provide extra protection against unauthorized access. MFA requires users to enter two or more pieces of information to verify their identity and access their accounts.

In most cases, this involves receiving a one-time code via text message or email and using that code to access the account. With MFA, even if a hacker steals your username and password, they still won’t be able to access your account.

Encrypt Your Messages

Not every communication platform offers multi-factor authentication. If you need to use a platform that doesn’t offer access control features, use tools to encrypt your messages and keep them private.

For example, instead of using unsecured text messaging apps, use tools like Signal, which allows you to send SMS messages and even make video calls with end-to-end encryption. You can also use tools like Proton Mail to encrypt your email communications.

Encryption uses cryptography to scramble your message while it is in transit. This way, it is completely unreadable, even if it is intercepted by cybercriminals. The recipient needs a key to unscramble the message.

Secure communication tools like Signal or Proton Mail handle every aspect of encryption for you, so you can send messages normally without having to worry about manually generating or sharing keys.

If you need to communicate on an unsecured tool, try using a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your online activity. This is particularly important if you’re working on a public Wi-Fi network. A VPN will mask your IP address and send your web traffic through an encrypted tunnel. This way, cybercriminals won’t be able to see what you’re doing, even if they’re on the same network as you.

Choose Secure Communication Platforms

Not all communication tools are created equal, especially when you’re sharing sensitive information or working with customers’ personal data. When choosing communication methods for your organization, look for platforms that take cybersecurity seriously.

In particular, look for platforms that offer multi-factor authentication, encryption, and integration with other cybersecurity tools, such as firewalls and EDR. Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet are popular choices, but you’ll need to do your own due diligence to find platforms that meet your needs.

In addition to security features, look for platforms that align with your compliance needs. For example, if you’re in the healthcare industry, you’ll need to choose platforms that are HIPAA-compliant. If you’re in the accounting or finance industries, you’ll need a tool that’s compliant with SOC 2.

These are just a few of many compliance standards to consider when building your tech stack for internal communications. The exact compliance standards you need to adhere to will vary based on your industry and your location.

Once you’ve selected the best communication platforms for your needs, create company-wide policies that outline when each communication tool should be used.

For example, standard email services may be fine for casual messages and scheduling, but shouldn’t be used when working with sensitive data or intellectual property. You should also avoid using social media or other public platforms for professional communication.

Train Your Team on Cybersecurity Best Practices

To maintain communication security across your organization, your entire team needs to be on the same page. Offer regular cybersecurity training sessions for your employees so they know how to stay safe when communicating online. Everyone should participate in these training sessions, from your interns all the way to your C-suite employees.

These training sessions should cover the latest cyber threats to watch out for, as well as best practices for communicating safely online. In particular, employees should receive training on how to spot phishing messages and other social engineering attacks.

Phishing attacks are a weak point for many organizations. One study found that 98% of senior leaders were unable to correctly identify all signs of phishing. Investing in cybersecurity training empowers your team to stay safe when working online.

Employee cybersecurity training isn’t something that should only happen once. Cybercriminals frequently develop new strategies, so you should offer ongoing training sessions to ensure that everyone’s skills are up-to-date. You may also want to schedule random phishing tests to ensure your employees are staying vigilant.

Keep Software and Systems Updated

Many hackers exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software programs to launch their cyberattacks and access secure communications. You’ll need to keep your software programs and hardware updated at all times to keep these threat actors at bay.

Software updates can be disruptive, so aim to schedule them overnight or on weekends. This will minimize disruptions for both your employees and your customers.

When you’re using multiple communication platforms, it can be difficult to keep track of all available patches and updates. Use tools that can scan for new updates and patches and automatically install them when released. Patch management platforms like Automox, ManageEngine, or NinjaOne can help you stay on top of updates and keep your communications secure.

Monitor and Audit Communication Tools

You’ll need to monitor your communication tools closely to ensure that they continue to meet your security standards and that your employees are using them properly.

Implement usage policies for every communication platform your team uses. These policies should specify when to use each platform, and specify which channels to use for sharing secure information.

Use cybersecurity tools to set up 24/7 monitoring for your communication platforms. This will help you spot unusual activity as soon as it happens to prevent cyberattacks.

Finally, make sure to keep communication logs and data backups. In addition to improving accountability and transparency, this will help you recover more quickly in the event your data is lost. Depending on the industry you’re in, data logs may be necessary for compliance.

How Diamond IT Can Help Secure Your Business’s Communications

At Diamond IT, we’re here to help you keep your communications secure. As a managed services provider, we serve as your third-party IT and cybersecurity partner, providing additional support and expertise that you may not have in-house.

Our team can help you select appropriate communication platforms based on your operational needs. We’ll also help you implement cybersecurity measures and provide ongoing help desk support, system monitoring, and employee cybersecurity training.

Ready to get started? Get in touch with our team today to schedule a consultation.