The Small Business Owner’s Basic Guide to Cybersecurity

Written by Leslie Campos

If you are getting your small business off the ground, or you plan to open your first business in the near future, you might be overlooking one key area of concern for all entrepreneurs. Many small business owners are not aware that they are at risk for cyberattacks which could compromise their financial information and their team’s personal data.

Working with an IT support company that provides network recovery and cybersecurity services can help you strengthen your company’s protections against cyberattacks. Additionally, here are a few steps that every business owner should take to keep their information and finances safe from cyberattacks.

Understand the Risks

You may be wondering why cybersecurity is so crucial. Some business owners do not fully understand what would be at risk if their company was targeted by a cyberattack. Assessing your own risks is essential for developing a security plan. For instance, Trend Micro states that a hacker could collect and expose sensitive customer data, including addresses, emails, and payment records. They could also hack into your company’s financial accounts or gather personal information about your employees.

Invest in Preventative Tools

Investing in effective cyber protection solutions is the best way to prevent your business from being compromised by a cyberattack. You should look into solutions that will protect your company’s data that is stored across multiple devices, including servers, networks, USB drives, computers, and even mobile devices. For instance, you may want to set up an authentication system so that only certain users can access specific programs, documents, or devices.

Some people may think that a good modem will help protect them from cyber attacks. However, while a DSL modem, for example, will certainly help improve speeds and internet stability, routers tend to do the heavy lifting when it comes to security. Make sure you do plenty of research to ensure you’re getting a product that will help keep you secure.

You can also invest in antivirus and antimalware programs for your company. One powerful tool is the MailTrackerBlocker plug-in that tracks emails and read receipts, and blocks spy pixels. Additionally, an up-to-date firewall system can provide vital protection against hackers. Seek out affordable solutions tailored to your business, like the apps from SweetP Productions.

On top of setting up digital protections, it never hurts to keep backup hard copies of important documents. That way, if someone hacks into your files and you temporarily lose access to the digital copies, you’ll still have the physical documents on hand.

Reduce the Possibility of Attacks

What actions can you take to reduce the likelihood that a cyber attacker would be able to target your business in the first place? Following best practices for cybersecurity during the workday and educating your employees on these methods is a good place to start, especially if you manage a remote team.

Efront Learning recommends explaining how hackers can spread malware through email or social media messages, how email phishing scams work, and what ransomware threats look like. You’ll also need to show them how to choose strong passwords and avoid clicking on suspicious links. Furthermore, you should indicate which types of company data they are not permitted to disclose. Finally, it’s important to make training mandatory for new employees and keep your training materials up-to-date.

What to Do if Attacked

Despite your best efforts, you could still end up dealing with a cyberattack one day. Should this happen, you need to contain the breach by disabling remote access to your systems and changing passwords if possible. Then, you’ll need to assess the overall impact, determine what was compromised, and initiate your recovery plan. You do not have to handle recovery efforts entirely on your own. You can work with a cybersecurity expert who specializes in disaster recovery efforts to remedy any issues and establish better preventative systems for the future.

As more and more businesses rely on technology to operate and facilitate customer transactions, cybersecurity becomes increasingly important for entrepreneurs. You do not want to wait until your company’s data is compromised in a cyberattack to start thinking about cybersecurity. Establishing strong cybersecurity protections for your business is a key investment in your company’s future.