{"id":17645,"date":"2020-05-13T16:28:34","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T20:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-715453-3009179.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=17645"},"modified":"2023-04-28T21:37:59","modified_gmt":"2023-04-29T01:37:59","slug":"small-business-cybersecurity-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-715453-3009179.cloudwaysapps.com\/blog\/small-business-cybersecurity-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Crucial Small Business Cybersecurity Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"
With more companies moving their businesses online, the need for cybersecurity is paramount. To protect a small business<\/a> from cyberattacks, many small business owners and their employees need to learn best practices for cyber threat prevention.<\/p>\n Knowing the fundamentals of cybersecurity and putting them into action will protect your company, and reduce the risk of falling victim to a cyber attack.<\/p>\n Cyberthreats aren’t just a problem for big corporations and government organizations. Believe it or not, small businesses are targeted more often than larger ones! A study carried out by the US Congressional Small Business Committee reported that small to medium-sized companies were victims of 60 percent<\/a> of targeted cyber attacks.<\/p>\n Why? Most cybercrimes involve bypassing security to gather intelligence. Although bigger corporations have a lot more data to hack, small businesses are less likely to have secure networks, making them much easier to circumvent.<\/p>\n Data breaches can range from intellectual property and documents to credit cards and financial details. Cybercriminals might also mine confidential information about your employees and clients. The average cumulative cost of a data breach<\/a> in the United States is $3.62 million.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hackers are always coming up with new ways to conduct cyberattacks. <\/span>But some of the most popular \u2060\u2014 and <\/span><\/span>therefore<\/span><\/span> predictable \u2060\u2014 methods of breaching security have been around for a while<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n In this type of cyberattack, a malicious website might attempt to install a program on your device without first requesting permission. This might occur if using an outdated operating system, or the security measures in place are inadequate.<\/p>\n Phishing emails trick recipients into opening an attachment or clicking a link to a website that contains malware. In April 2020, the FBI revealed<\/a> that the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received reports of over $2.1 billion in losses from phishing scams between January 2014 and October 2019.<\/p>\n This attack involves hacking a legitimate website<\/a> and transforming it into a malicious one without the site owners’ knowledge. The goal is to install malware on devices, which typically requires the unsuspecting user to download a file, click a link, or give out their personal information.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Successful cybercriminals are experts at sussing out and exploiting typical weak spots in system security. No matter how careful you are, it only takes one slip-up to compromise your company’s data and possibly your entire business. The good news is, anything you can do to make it harder for hackers to do their job increases the likelihood that they’ll move on to an easier target. Here are the top ways to stave off cyberthreats.<\/p>\n When it comes to small business cybersecurity, strong passwords are paramount. The 2019 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report<\/a> found that a whopping 80 percent of data breaches happened as the result of weak, lost, or stolen passwords. It goes without saying then, that every device and network containing sensitive company and client information should be password-protected. This includes all tablets, laptops, smartphones, cloud storage, and removable drives.<\/p>\n Even the most iron-clad passwords need changing every few months, and should never be reused or shared over any platform. To prevent password-hacking attacks, limit the number of failed log-in attempts you allow.<\/p>\n If you want to add an extra layer of protection beyond passwords, consider using multi-factor identification. This is a secure login system offered by most major web services and email providers. It requires users to provide two or more forms of identification to log in. For example, your employees will need to enter their phone number to receive a temporary pin that they can use in conjunction with the password.<\/p>\n External firewalls have long been the cornerstone of internet security. But a growing number of companies are installing additional internal firewalls for further protection. Employees who are working remotely should also set up a firewall on their wireless network at home.<\/p>\n The Small Business Administration (SBA) recommends<\/a> regularly backing up business information, word processing documents, HR and financial files, electronic spreadsheets, and critical databases. Make sure to store the most up-to-date versions of this data both offsite and in the cloud.<\/p>\n Using the latest operating system, web browser, and security programs is a great defense against cyber threats<\/span><\/span>. Keeping your software up to date helps too. <\/span>Outdated operating systems are easily exploitable, so make sure updates are set automatically, and have your antivirus program run a scan on each update.<\/p>\n And don’t skip setting up antimalware programs on all devices!<\/p>\n Make sure your workplace Wi-Fi is secure, encrypted, and hidden. Set up your wireless access point or router so that the name of your Wi-Fi network is secret. Avoid broadcasting your Service Set Identifier (SSID).<\/p>\n Prevent outsiders from seeing any information sent through your network by securing your Wi-Fi with at least WPA2 or WPA3 encryption. Ensure to password protect access to your wireless network.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Your online presence is a critical component to the success and growth of your company. It’s vital to protect your customers from cyberthreats. Here are a few top tips to help you <\/span>do exactly<\/span><\/span>\u00a0that.<\/span><\/p>\n Look at your website URL. Does it start with “https:\/\/”? Do you see a tiny picture of a closed padlock? If so, the information shared between your customers’ web browsers and your website is protected with encryption. If your URL starts with “https:\/\/” and you don’t see a tiny padlock, or the padlock looks open or exed out, the connection to your website is probably not secure.<\/p>\n Using a secure connection requires obtaining a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate from a trusted hosting provider.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0On top of protecting your customers, you’ll also likely boost your SEO rankings.<\/p>\n Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is detailed customer credentials, like full name, phone number, social security number, credit card details, mailing and billing address. If you’re storing it, you are responsible for keeping it safe. Small businesses are held accountable for any damages incurred from poor cybersecurity practices. This includes compromised PII.<\/p>\n Remember: if you don’t store it, they can’t steal it.<\/p>\nWhy is cybersecurity important for small businesses?<\/h2>\n
Common cybersecurity threats for small businesses<\/h2>\n
“Drive-by” downloads<\/h3>\n
Phishing<\/h3>\n
Watering holes<\/h3>\n
Making your business secure for you<\/h2>\n
Make sure your logins are secure<\/h3>\n
Fire up some firewalls<\/h3>\n
Don’t slack on backups<\/h3>\n
Keep your machines fresh and clean<\/h3>\n
Protect your networks<\/h3>\n
Making your business secure for your customers<\/h2>\n
Secure your website<\/h3>\n
Don’t store sensitive data<\/h3>\n
Make it easy for customers to reach you<\/h3>\n