Did you know that 43% of today’s cyber-attacks target small businesses? Small businesses don’t have the resources to apply maximum security measures, which makes them targets for a wide range of online attacks. To make things even worse, only a small number of small businesses have the ability to mitigate cyber security risks effectively.
Protecting against cyber attacks is not as complicated as you think. Simple measures, combined with good practice and improvements in the business’s everyday information management, are often enough to block attacks and prevent further issues.
Secure Data Points
Businesses now rely on the internet and existing services to streamline their operations. The reliability factor is even bigger for small business who set up online storefronts in order to reach customers. The simple online store is gathering customer information and storing critical details in databases.
Other data points include the cloud-based CRM (Customer Relationship Management) your business uses, the email server that handles all communications, and even the devices used by team members to handle business-related tasks. These points need to be properly secured to prevent unwanted attacks.
You can start by encrypting data transmissions to and from the servers. This means installing a valid SSL certificate and configuring the servers to use only secured connections. Another step to take is to encrypt essential files as they are being stored in the cloud. A lot of business cloud services offer support for custom encryption keys and other advanced features.
Store Sensitive Information Offline
For sensitive information, such as business details and trade secrets, offline storage is still the way to go. Despite the reliability of cloud services and servers, eliminating access completely is the simplest, most cost-effective way to block cyber attacks entirely.
A Network-Attached Storage or NAS can be installed at the office for information storage. Alternatively, external (or internal) drives can be used to store the most sensitive information, since they offer maximum protection and very limited access. Of course, you still need to add proper file encryption for maximum security.
What about hardware failures? Won’t that threaten the safety of your business information? There are simple solutions to this particular challenge too. Storing multiple copies, for instance, is a good start. You can also rely on the best data recovery software for Windows or Mac, especially since they are more reliable than ever.
Get into Good Routines
The biggest security gaps are actually caused by bad habits. Using weak passwords, logging in from unsecured devices and sharing login information – even among fellow team members – are big security holes that need to be closed as soon as possible.
Again, these are problems that are easy to deal with. By introducing better, more secure routines, you can get team members to be more security-conscious. A stronger password alone will make hacking into your private server more difficult; it will take days, if not weeks, for a brute-force attack to succeed when you have a strong password in place.
There are still some tips we haven’t discussed in this article. Be sure to stay tuned for more updates right here on Business Fundas.