Cyber attacks are one of the biggest risks for any small business. There are over 80,000 cyberattacks per day in the US, and research shows that only 5% of businesses are adequately protected against the risk.
It could happen to anyone, and if you’re not careful you could find your business under attack. A cybersecurity threat could be disastrous for numerous reasons. A vicious attack could swipe your company data and make you liable for legal proceedings, or it could end up copying your information and taking a chunk out of your finances.
It’s the last thing any small business owner wants to happen. But the worst part is, when it happens, it is often totally avoidable. There are many things you can do to ramp up your business’s security and protect yourself from attacks.
With this goal in mind, here are four effective ways to boost your online security and protect your small business.
Back up your systems
If an attack wipes your systems and eradicates all of your client data, this could be catastrophic for your business. But as long as you have backups, it will only take you a short while to get up and running again. Whatever the nature of your business, it is essential that you backup all of your data on a daily basis. This way, if the worst-case scenario does happen, you’ll only have lost the data since the latest backup. Your best bet is to back up your systems onto external hard drives and always keep a copy outside the office to keep it safe.
Keep up to date
When you’re deep in concentration on an important project and a notification pops up telling you to update your antivirus software, you probably put it off for days or even weeks. That’s what most people do, but it is essential you keep any malware up to date so you are fully equipped to fend off any cyber attacks. Don’t ignore the notifications.
Use a password management tool
Too many businesses use the same password for everything and don’t take proper precautions to keep them secure. A password management tool allows you to set secure passwords for all of your systems and removes the need to remember them or write them down on a Post-It note left out on your desk for all the world to see. The best ones utilize a browser plugin that remembers your passwords and logs you in automatically, yet has high-level security which is invulnerable to hacking.
Have a BYOD policy
If your team use their own smartphones and tablets for work, it’s essential that you implement a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy to ensure they are using them safely. This policy should outline all the steps they need to take to maintain cybersecurity including advice around things like data deletion and location tracking.
If are unsure about how secure your business is online, it’s always worth seeking advice from a cybersecurity expert such as Irdeto to help you protect yourself.
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