In today’s tech-savvy digital world, the landscape of cybercrime is rapidly evolving—from bedroom hackers to highly professional, well-resourced organisations. These cyber criminals are technically skilled and use increasingly sophisticated techniques to breach internal data security. The guide below outlines practical actions you can take now to identify threats, secure your business, and protect your data.
Cybersecurity statistics reported by Fintech News show that phishing attempts have risen by 600% since February 2020, with 75% of attacks originating via email. Businesses now carry a significant responsibility to protect not only their own sensitive information, but also the private and critical data of their employees and clients.
At SapphireOne, we take active, high-quality measures to keep our customers’ data secure, and we strongly encourage our clients to take their own steps to protect accounts and personal information from external threats.
1. Keep an eye out for phishers
Phishing occurs when scammers attempt to trick you into sharing valuable information such as passwords, PINs, credit card details, or personal data. The most common example is an email that appears to come from a legitimate company. These messages are becoming increasingly sophisticated and harder to distinguish from genuine correspondence, often mimicking invoices, alerts, or urgent calls-to-action.
The most effective defence is awareness. Ensure both you and your employees are well informed and vigilant. Make it standard practice to verify the origin of emails before taking action, and think carefully before opening links or attachments. Be particularly cautious of unusual email addresses, spelling errors, inconsistent branding, or suspicious formatting.
2. Take advantage of unique passwords
Never underestimate the importance of strong, unique passwords. Cyber criminals use a wide range of techniques to gain access to credentials, and reusing passwords across systems significantly increases risk. Each critical service should have its own unique password to minimise exposure.
At SapphireOne, password protection is taken extremely seriously. We are proud to offer a Password Management tool built directly into our ERP system, providing granular control over security.
Key security features include:
- Inbuilt Password Management – Complete control over password protection across the system. Every function within SapphireOne can be secured, including internal application features and external elements such as user accounts and screens.
- Strong, randomly generated passwords – Password length is configurable, and the system automatically generates complex passwords using a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Regular password rotation – Passwords can be set to regenerate automatically on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis, ensuring ongoing protection.
- Encrypted password storage – Passwords remain encrypted, with workflows controlling which users, groups, or access levels can decrypt and view them.
- Comprehensive audit trail – All password changes are logged, including the date, time, and user responsible, ensuring full accountability.
- Built-in two-factor authentication (2FA) – When passwords are changed, notifications can be sent to nominated users, adding an additional layer of security verification.
- Full client control – Password protection can be activated or deactivated for any feature at any time, with a single click.
3. Ensure your Wi-Fi connection and server are secure
It is increasingly difficult for technology alone to eliminate every threat, as new vulnerabilities emerge constantly and cyber criminals adapt rapidly. Securing both your Wi-Fi connection and server infrastructure adds an essential extra layer of defence across your business environment.
When working remotely or without access to a trusted network, consider using a mobile hotspot or, preferably, a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN encrypts all traffic, preventing unauthorised access to credentials or browsing activity.
At SapphireOne, we recommend running the application on a standalone application server, positioned behind a firewall, operating on a separate VPN and isolated subnet. This architecture significantly reduces exposure and strengthens overall security.
For this purpose, we recommend Fortinet, a leading provider of enterprise-grade cybersecurity solutions. Fortinet’s high-end firewalls offer integrated, automated protection across your infrastructure, delivering end-to-end security and peace of mind.
If you are interested in learning more about all the ways SapphireOne offers security solutions, get in touch with us, we’d love to discuss your business needs and how our software can help.