Yaakov Berezin: Cyber Security Expert Shares Tips To Secure Your Data

Peace of mind. Just the words bring a sense of peace and comfort. In a world where everything seems to be moving too fast, bad news seems to be constant and technology is no exception. Cyberattacks steal valuable information from companies, individuals, and governments from around the world. And while everyone is at risk, there is one group that is highly susceptible to these attacks. Small Businesses. Small businesses account for over 40% of all cyberattacks and with a business falling victim to a ransomware attack every 14 seconds, there is no denying the need for cyber protection. For many, this means purchasing anti-virus protection software from your local computer store or Walmart, but Yaakov Berezin, founder of Cyopsecurity and cyber security expert, says more should be done.

Berezin has been in cybersecurity for the last six year. Taking his experience from helping Digacore, an IT solutions company, triple their business in just a few years, he has recently launched his own company, Cyopsecurity. Specializing in small to medium businesses, his goal is to provide them an affordable option for their cybersecurity needs. “[Cybersecurity] can get expensive, but smaller businesses need it too. That’s who I want to help.” Despite his affordable costs, his team is able to bring peace of mind to organizations by hunting, investigating, and stopping cyber threats. Although he believes everyone should invest in a cybersecurity service, he shares three tips that every small business owner can take to help protect themselves from falling victim to a cyber attack.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Yes, it adds an extra step to logging into your email and other sensitive accounts, but that’s the point. Whether you use an authentication such as Authy or Microsoft’s Authenticator App, this simple step can help prevent unauthorized access to your information. “Many hackers use what is called a dictionary attack. Basically, they get access to your email and try logging in with a list of passwords until they’re in.” This attack can take a matter of minutes and without a multi factor authentication process in place, this kind of attack wouldn’t be flagged or brought to your attention.

Don’t Use Redundant Passwords

Let’s be honest. We all are way too busy and have too many things going through our mind. That’s why it’s easier to remember one or two passwords instead of a unique password for every single account you have. Here’s the problem. Banks, Google and credit companies are hacked all the time. If a hacker can gain your password from one bank, then they can access your other sensitive data as well. That’s why Berezin suggests mixing up your passwords. “You should have something over twelve characters. The easiest way is to think of a sentence that you adjust for each website or account that you have.” Another option is to have a password manager, where one password can give you access to all of your log-ins. Of course, make sure that it’s protected by multi-factor authentication.

Have 24/7 SOC Monitoring

Here’s the deal. Even with taking smart steps to protect your data, cyberattacks will still occur. That’s why it’s important to have 24/7 SOC monitoring. Berezin suggests that this should be something more than just an antivirus program. “First, an antivirus program can only stop known attacks. Also, what happens when it flags something. What action is taken?” As part of his service, he has a team of trained cybersecurity engineers that can respond in real time to anything that seems like an attack. By providing this continuous monitoring, he knows that his clients can operate their business, and sleep, with peace of mind.

Yaakov Berezin is a cybersecurity expert and the founder of Cyopsecurity – a full service cybersecurity company specializing in providing affordable solutions for small and medium businesses. Although his company specializes in the Finance and Healthcare industries, they have served clients in a variety of industries. Services included are 24/7 SOC monitoring and active response, vulnerability testing, attack simulations and compliance services. You can visit his website at Cyopsecurity. You can also follow him via LinkedIn and Instagram.