Sadly, small and medium business have been under attack from hackers in recent years and the attacks are rapidly increasing. Cyber security is a very serious matter and can have devastating consequences to organisations of any size. Cyber breaches could lead to a loss of important data, losing public standing or having to fork out money. We encourage small businesses to be prepared for potential cyber attacks.This can be through web safety awareness and data protection. Carry on reading to see how you can stay safe online as a small business.
5 Tips on Staying Cyber Secure as a Small Business
1. Educate yourself and understand the basics of cyber security
Not everyone is clued up on the different types of cyber attacks and it is therefore vital to make sure that you and your employees understand the basics of cyber security. You should learn what to do to make sure the best cyber security practices are used at all times. This is one of the best ways to safeguard your data.
Provide regular training and work shops to keep your employees up to date with the latest advice and news in the cyber world. Only with continual awareness and training, can everyone understand the potential threats and how to identify and avoid them when necessary.
Cyber security awareness training can also be done through sending reminders and tips to employees. This helps to keep everyone cyber alert without taking up too much time.
It is also important to have strict privacy policies and employees need to be aware of what they can and cannot do. Restricting and limiting access to important data is another great way to implement cyber security within your business. Only grant employees the access they need.
2. Monitor and restrict the usage of certain software and workplace devices
Most cyber breaches result from within the business and it is therefore vital to monitor your employees’ cyber activity. The websites, downloads and software employees use need to be closely monitored and where possible restrict the employees access and ability to use certain hardware and software.
3. Use security software and an antivirus
No business is immune to a cyber breach and every business, whether micro or corporation, so install antivirus and anti-malware software on all workplace devices that use your network. Any device, from the computer to the smartphone, is vulnerable to a cyber attack.
As we mentioned earlier, cyber attacks are on the rise and the cyber world is growing and advancing each second. A cyber attack can be launched at anytime, from anywhere and the scariest part is that the impact of that attack. The impact can range from being considered minimal to destroying a whole business
As new cyber attack methods are developed daily, we need better and stronger cyber security practices. Think of your cyber security as a bank vault, the more layers of security, the more attempts needed to get through. Just like banks your cyber security needs a multi-layered approach to deter hackers at every level. Make use of strong passwords and using two-factor verification, as well as firewalls and secure networks can aid in preventing cyber attacks on your important data.
4. Making use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
A virtual private network is a secure network that protects you while you are connected to the internet. Whether you have a small or large business, VPNs are the way to go.
VPNs work by using data encryption which means that your data is ‘camouflaged’ when you or your employees roam the cyber space and cyber criminals have little to no chance in cracking your defences.
VPNs can give you peace of mind when dealing with cyber attacks from the outside.
5. Back Up, Back Up, Back Up – Data
Data backup is a process that refers to the
copying of the information into an archive file of computer data that is
already in secondary storage. This may then be used to restore data to the
original data after a data breach has occurred. This back up can allow you to
be back up and running in no time.
Get into the routine of frequently backing up your data. There are many different ways to make backups of your data, whether it is done with external hard drives and USBs, cloud storage or the old fashion way of printing hard copies it is vital to make regular back ups.
Cyber criminals and their hacking tactics are on
the rise, but your skills and continuous reinforcement of your cyber security
practices can be boosted with these 5 tips to stay secure against hackers.
If you feel as though you don’t have the time for this, leave it to us. We can manage all of your cyber security for only £12 per device per month and we can cover up to 100 devices! Look at our cyber security management package for small businesses or have a look at our cyber security education package.