2018 could potentially be a big year for your business. However, your business needs to be around long enough to see any positives that may come its way, which means you need to be prepared for the negatives. Here are five resolutions for you to make this year to help preserve your organization’s cybersecurity.

Check Endpoint Security
First things first, you want to be sure that your endpoints (that is, your employees’ devices and workstations) aren’t contributing to any vulnerabilities your network may have. Are your employees using their workplace devices responsibly? Do they each have access permissions that are appropriate for their work? Are some employees misusing their permissions?

Your business security starts with your end users and their behavior. Risky actions will only put the business at risk. You need to be sure that your employees understand what the misuse of their devices or their credentials could bring about. Furthermore, you need to make sure that your network has the minimum number of endpoints possible, and that any former employees have had their accounts revoked.

Apply Updates and Patches
In order for your systems to be properly protected, you should keep them as up-to-date as possible. This is because cybercriminals and malware developers are constantly trying to improve their products to overtake the protections their targeted victims have in place, just as software developers and security professionals are constantly trying to identify and resolve weak points in these defenses.

This is what updates and patches serve to do--they fix vulnerabilities that could otherwise severely affect your operations. Without them, your business is left exposed to potential threats. You need to make it a habit to regularly implement these crucial pieces of software so that your business is protected.

Keep it Positive
Admittedly, most of these resolutions have been about avoiding the bad, but why not embrace the good? Look ahead and consider the future. What attacks might be more likely to be leveraged against your business? What do you need to do to defend yourself? You want to put yourself in the best-case hypothetical scenario.

Now, how can you go about attaining that standard? By taking an honest look at what is needed to have a year free of cyber-attacks, you get a better idea of how this can be achieved, and what you need to do to get to that point. Then, it’s simply a matter of doing it.

Make Sure the Basics are Covered
As you put these resolutions into action, don’t forget about the simple security measures. Solid password requirements will always help keep threats out of your network and accounts, and they can always be bolstered by two-factor authentication.

While you’re putting these measures into place, you also need to make sure that your team is kept up to speed on these changes, and are taught how they work. Otherwise, they may resist these security changes and figure out workarounds.

How have you resolved to improve your business? Have you made progress? Let us know in the comments!