There are a lot of risks involved in setting up a small business. Cyber security is one of the less obvious risks of the process. In fact, small business owners put a lot of thought into how they should maximize technological abilities for their businesses for the least cost. But the flip side of the coin is that the security best practices are often overlooked or sidelined in the process of getting the business up and running quickly.
With the recent news stories about various cyber security attacks on small businesses, you should take cyber security more seriously and not cut corners with security. With data theft and hacking becoming more common in the modern world, you should think seriously about protecting your small business. This article provides simple tips to avoid some nasty problems like the theft of personal information of customers, loss of data & fraud, and to keep your burgeoning small business away from disaster.
- Back Everything Up
We can’t stress the importance of backing up your data. Don’t store any data that you can’t afford to lose in one place or in a single device. You should use an external drive for backing up the data. You can also check out various cloud storage options available and consider a hard copy of your records.
- Encrypt Everything
Backing up your data is only safe until the backed-up data is totally secure. The best way to secure your data is to install encryption on all of your devices and drives. You should also encrypt any email that contains sensitive information.
- Firewalls
One of your first priorities is to place a firewall on your network. In fact, there are many options for firewall software on the market today. Make sure to shop around until you find the right one for your business.
- Secure Your Business Against Physical Theft
You should be wary of hackers who try to breach your security network. But you shouldn’t forget that hardware can also be stolen. All of your employees should be aware of the importance of any data that is on their laptops and cell phones when they are on the go.
- Protect Your Devices Against Spyware, Malware, and Viruses
Any device that’s connected to the internet is at risk. Hence, you should install the latest anti-virus protection software on all devices and utilise XDR. You should also assign someone to update the software on a regular basis.
- Strong Passwords On All Devices
All of your employees should have strong passwords on their devices with sensitive information or data. They should be advised to change their passwords regularly – quarterly at the very least.
- The Third Parties You Deal With Should Be Secure As You
If other persons or businesses have access to any of your systems, they should follow similar safety practices as you. In fact, you shouldn’t be afraid to check before granting access to anybody.
- Avoid Freeware Whenever Possible
There are many free options for anti-virus and other software systems. In fact, some of these systems are quite reliable. But some others are not reliable and may contain malware. Cybersecurity is not the best place to cut costs. In fact, good security software systems are always money well spent.
- Train The Employees
Make sure all your employees know the importance of constantly maintaining the best practices of cybersecurity.
- Do Not Mix Work & Pleasure
Don’t use the same device for business and pleasure. In fact, you shouldn’t store any business information on a device that you share with your family or friends.
