Did you know that 50% of small business owners say that their business has experienced at least one type of harmful cyber activity?
Small businesses are vulnerable because they don’t have the same security resources that large corporations do. Cybercriminals know this and target small businesses at increasing rates.
To protect your business, follow these cybersecurity tips.
1. Train Employees
One of the best cybersecurity tips is to train your employees on security policies regularly.
Human error is a common reason for cyber threats, so require your employees to set strong passwords and establish appropriate internet use guidelines. You can also penalize employees that violate the policies in place.
It’s especially important to establish rules privileged account management for handling and protecting customer data and information.
2. Implement Firewall Security
A firewall is a set of programs related to one another that prevent hackers and outsiders from accessing data on a business’s private network.
Your small business operating system needs an enabled firewall. You can install free firewall software online, but this won’t provide you with all of the protections you need.
View here for more information on systems that can protect your overall network.
If your business has employees that work from home, make sure their network and systems are protected by a firewall as well.
3. Back up Data
Regularly back up data on every business computer. If you have the option to automatically back up your data, take it. Critical data includes the following:
- Financial files
- Word processing documents
- Databases
- Electronic spreadsheets
- Human resource files
- Accounts payable/receivable files
Back up files at least weekly. You can store copies in the cloud or offsite for additional protection.
4. Limit Employee Access
You can protect data and even areas of your business with access control systems. Protect information by limiting employee access. Employees only need access to specific systems that they use for their jobs.
You can also limit employees’ abilities to install software programs without permission.
5. Create Mobile Action Plans
These days, employees use their mobile devices to work from home or on the go. Mobile devices are convenient, but they create significant security challenges if they hold confidential information.
Require mobile users to protect their devices with strong passwords, data encryption, and security apps. All of these things can prevent hackers from stealing information while a device is on a public network.
If employees lose their work devices or someone steals these devices, you need a procedure in place for reporting.
Cybersecurity Tips to Implement Now
Small businesses are the focus of a lot of cyber attacks these days. You can use managed IT services and these five cybersecurity tips to prevent hackers from stealing important customer and business data.
Train your employees regularly as technology changes, implement firewall security, and automatically back up data. Utilize access control systems and create mobile action plans to prevent breaches as well.
For more informative business tips like this, check out the other posts on our website.
