Anyone who wants to do your company harm can infiltrate in a number of ways — through your computer network or your website, using phony emails or other scams to obtain account names, passwords and other sensitive information. It used to be enough to protect the data that existed within the physical walls of your business, but that's no longer sufficient. Many businesses don't even have physical walls anymore: They might exist entirely on the Internet, with employees working independently all over the globe. On top of protecting your own systems, you also have to protect your customers' information. And the laptops and smartphones that make our lives easier also present new and challenging security issues.
Being a business owner can be pretty overwhelming in that respect, but there are plenty of steps you can take to protect yourself against ever-present security threats. Some are simple actions you can carry out on your own, and some might require professional help. But don't hesitate to improve your systems and fix weak spots — it'll be well worth the time and effort. Here are some tips
10: Realize That You're a Target
It isn't possible to defend yourself completely against online attacks, but complacency is probably the No. 1 reason a business becomes a victim of a cybercrime. Many business owners make the mistake of assuming that their company is too puny for hackers to bother with. Hackers are very familiar with this way of thinking — they know that most small businesses aren't helmed by information technology experts with an unlimited security budget. They know "small" usually equals weak and easily exploitable.
9: Stay Updated and Backed Up
If your computer system has been operating with the same settings since day one, you need to change them. Figuring out default account names and passwords is one of the easiest steps a hacker can take to gain access to your system — it's like handing them a free pass. But that has a simple fix.
8: Secure Your Site
Your top priority when beefing up your security infrastructure is probably going to be protecting the business itself. You want to ensure that no one can destroy your systems, steal your data or otherwise compromise your business. But you also have to secure your website for the sake of your customers, who submit their personal information through it and trust you to keep it safe.
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We're not saying you've hired any shady characters, but employees are a common source of security breaches — 60 percent of them occur within the company, according to a survey by the International Data Corporation [source: Staff Monitoring]. For that reason, employees should be given access to only as much sensitive information as they need to do their jobs, and no one person should be able to access all data systems. Employees should be required to get permission before they install any kind of software on their work computers. Lock up laptops when they're not in use.
6: Be Smart About Smartphones
A desktop computer and a landline used to be all we needed for a solid day of work — simple, effective and fairly straightforward in terms of security. But now it's a completely different story. Sure, many people do sit at a desk all day, but most of us carry around laptops, tablets, USB drives and smartphones, all of which we might use for both professional and personal reasons. This, clearly, is a security nightmare.
5: Do "Remote" Right
The rise of flexible work-from-home policies has been a major trend in recent years, which is generally great for employee morale but not so great in terms of security. It's tricky but obviously crucial to keep up security measures when employees are doing their jobs remotely. The guidelines about smartphones apply here, but you also need to ensure that strong safeguards are in place on all company computers and devices, no matter where the employee is working.
4: Consider the Cloud
All of these security warnings and instructions might cause a panic in a cash-strapped, struggling small-business owner. Good security is just as important to a 10-person business as it is to a huge corporation, but it's a lot to take on. That's where cloud-based services come in — they're a godsend to anyone who doesn't have the the funds, time or staff to install and monitor security systems. To get this level of security, you used to have to invest in email and file servers and hire at least one IT staffer or consultant.
3: Manage Your Risk
You can decrease your vulnerability to cybercrime — or at least minimize the damage of an attack — with a few pretty low-tech precautions. They require some time and effort, but you should be able to do it without outside help. First, you need to be aware of all the information that your business contains, from the minor stuff to the valuable records whose loss would be devastating. Record where it's stored, exactly who has access to it, if it's connected to the Internet (which makes it more vulnerable) and what its value is to you.
2: Dispose of Data Safely
When outdated computers are phased out or an employee leaves the company, you can't just throw the equipment into the trash and call it a day. You have to make a concerted effort to completely destroy all the data on that hard drive, whether the computer will eventually be junked or repurposed for another employee. Otherwise, you'll always wonder if that information could come back to haunt you someday
1: Respond and Report
In the event that your company does experience a cyberattack, waste no time responding. Quarantine the equipment that might have been infected, and clean it out. Notify business partners and contacts who might have been indirectly affected by the attack. Figure out if any of your customers' payment information has been compromised. If you don't have IT staff, you should definitely hire a professional to analyze the problem and resecure your system.