Cybersecurity and cybercrime are very real and is rapidly a growing threat. Contrary to popular belief, a majority of cybercrime victims are small businesses. In fact, 60% of small businesses can expect to be hacked in any given calendar year. It is important more now than ever to protect your small business from cyber threats!
Here are 4 Cybersecurity Tips to Help Protect Your Business.
1. Install Antivirus Software
Antivirus software is the first basic line of defense against any cybersecurity attack. There are many free and effective options available today, and there is no reason for you not to install one. Depending on your industry, you may want to opt for a Premium plan that usually includes security against malware, viruses, spyware, and adware, and email virus scanning and protection.
2. Encrypt Information
Encryption is a process that protects data by scrambling it via code so that it can only be accessed by those who have the “key” to the code. Essentially, encrypting your information ensures that it remains restricted to those intended to have access–and no one else. Today, most email suites come with an included encryption feature, so take the time to explore it, then use it for online communications.
3. Choose Passwords Wisely
Due to multi-step authentication, passwords today are arguably more secure. Even so, simple passwords can be cracked by programs that build dictionaries of potential passwords from names, birthdays, and personal interests, most of which are available on social network profiles.
Hackers can easily access data by spoofing a computer’s IP and MAC addresses. Even with newer IoT devices, simple passwords can give cybercriminals easy access to sensitive information.
How to Choose a Password:
- Use a combination of numbers, letters, and special symbols
- Use both upper and lower case letters
- Don’t trick yourself in believing a short password equals quicker access to files: Ensure your password falls between 12-14 characters
4. Secure Personal Devices
Personal and mobile devices are the easiest targets for hackers, and they can quickly compromise your business if they are used to store sensitive business information.
Put some basic policies in place so that employees’ devices remain safeguarded:
- Insist that any data that isn’t needed for the current work assignments be deleted off employee devices. Only relevant information should be used to complete tasks. Mobile devices should only be used for work and not for personal use.
- You could also encourage employees to use the cloud to save data rather than saving the information onto their personal devices for offline use.
- Instead of email, which can be easily hacked into, consider using secure online signature solutions in cases where authorization is needed to complete tasks.
- Finally, make sure any device that is used for work-related tasks has features such as remote wiping in case of a cyber emergency.
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Heidi Cake is our Data Director. She studied at Indiana Wesleyan University with a degree in BS Strategic Communications and BS Leadership Studies and specializes in analyzing anything in her path and creating aesthetic appeal to visual documents.
Heidi spent the first few years after college working in the non-profit sector on teams where she was handed anything that needed to be communicated creatively. She realized her most loved being able to communicate complex, abstract ideas which made her return to her love of numbers and data. Heidi brings an equally creative and analytical mind to the task of analyzing and communicating client data and statistics.
