Though much of the media attention is on large corporations, the vast majority of businesses being hacked are small, because small businesses are generally under-protected.
If hackers can break into huge corporations, with all the attention to security, what’s to stop them from targeting smaller companies that can’t afford the same level of protection? The good news for small businesses is that adequate computer security is not beyond reach. Here are a few cyber security tips that can benefit any small business owner.
1. Improve Password Protection
Strong passwords are a must, as is the use of prompts to update passwords regularly. Implementing policies to deal with the sharing of passwords, even with coworkers, is also a good idea.
2. Limit Access
Layered security can help to keep the most sensitive data safe even if your system suffers a breach. This means limiting access to certain types of information and adding levels of protection such as additional passwords and encryption.
3. Monitor Personal Devices
In a small business, employees may be using personal devices to access company data. In this case, you need to create policies that allow your network administrator to install monitoring software, push automatic security updates, and call for regular password changes. You don’t necessarily have to invade personal privacy, but you must protect your business if employees put your network at risk while using their personal devices.
4. Train Employees
Even with a technical support staff in place, employees can inadvertently cause breaches if you don’t train them appropriately. Making sure that employees understand how to use company resources and penalties for failing to follow security protocols is of the utmost importance.
5. Plan for Attack
You need to work with an experienced IT consultant or in-house IT staff on a plan for data breach. Because such attacks are so prevalent, it’s best to prepare for the worst. Make sure you have a backup in place to help get your business back up and running in the event of data loss.
6. Hack Yourself
One of the best ways to find vulnerabilities is to hire appropriate consulting firms or IT specialists to audit your system in search of weaknesses. From there you can begin to make changes that will better protect your business, your network, and your clientele.
Source: https://www.theamegroup.com
