Businesses need to develop a security culture to combat the theft of digital information, which is now a common fraud. If a company is planning to adopt cloud computing, develop a website or do any other technology related task, cybersecurity must be the top priority.
Here is a guide on internet security for small business.
Best Internet Security Practices For Small Businesses
1. Analysis of potential security risks
Look for potential threats that could compromise the security and integrity of your data, networks, or systems. Understanding, analyzing, and knowing potential threats will help you create a plan for addressing any security gaps.
When assessing the risk of perfuming, you should check how and where your data are stored. You also need to know who has access. Check who may want to access data and what they might do to get it. Analyze risk levels, events that could happen, and the impact of breaches on the business.
Use the results of your analysis to refine or improve your security system. Regularly review and revise your security plan and make significant changes to the storage and use of data. You can then offer a more robust level of protection to your data.
2. Use a Virtual Private Network.
Virtual Private Networks offer users a layer of additional security when browsing the Internet.
Small businesses can also use VPNs to secure their networks internally and make sure that only authorized personnel have access. A VPN encrypts the data leaving and arriving at your device. In the event that a cybercriminal intercepts data, he only has access to encrypted data.
The likelihood of a cyber-attack increases when employees work remotely. A VPN helps remote employees to build an extra layer of security that they might not otherwise have. It protects sensitive information for remote workers that rely on public Wi-Fi hotspots.
3. Backup your files regularly
Do you back up your files? If a cyber-attack occurs, vital data may be compromised or lost. Would your business function in such a situation? Would your business still be able run if a data breach occurred?
For your own safety, you should have a plan to save copies of all data. Choose a program which can restore your entire backup. You can automate or schedule the backup process with a program. You should also store backups in an offline storage to prevent them from being encrypted or rendered inaccessible if you are the victim of a ransomware.
4. Anti-Malware Software should be installed
Installing anti-malware is an excellent way to protect your company from phishing attacks. Most small business owners believe that their employees are aware of the dangers of clicking on phishing links or opening phishing emails.
A report from Verizon revealed that as many as 30% of employees in the US had opened phishing email in 2016. This was an increase of 7 percent over the previous year.
It is important to install anti-malware on your network and all devices connected to it. This is because phishing attempts can cause malware to be installed onto the devices of employees when they click the phishing links.
5. Passwords should be kept safe
Employees find the process of changing passwords overwhelming. Verizon’s 2016 data analysis also revealed that up to 63% of data breaches were caused by lost, stolen, or weak passwords.
The Keeper Security and Ponemon Institute also reported that 65 per cent of businesses with policies on passwords do not enforce them. To protect your business’s network, you must password-protect all devices that access it.
Employees who have access to sensitive or personal data should create separate accounts. Make sure your employees regularly change their passwords, and that they contain a mixture of alpha-numeric characters which do not resemble words. This will help to limit the time exposed to password theft.
6. Update Software
Business owners should make sure that their antivirus and software programs are both up to date. Malware is always evolving to exploit any vulnerabilities in your software. Patches and fixes to address these weaknesses are constantly evolving. These patches and fixes are useless if your software is not updated.
Final Thoughts
Most of the solutions for internet security mentioned above are highly scalable, and they will adapt to new technologies. Security needs will always change as businesses grow. It is important to take comprehensive measures now, before your infrastructure grows too big for you to manage.
