Cybersecurity isn’t just a concern for large corporations, it can affect businesses of all sizes. Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are actually more frequently targeted by cybercriminals as security measures often aren’t taken as seriously with these size businesses. While attacks can have devastating consequences, there are lots of precautionary steps you can take to make your business less vulnerable. Here are some of our top cybersecurity tips and best practices.
The first thing to do is create a solid cybersecurity policy within your business. This policy should outline the company’s approach to mitigating and managing cyber risks, including things like password protocols, data access and software security. There should also be guidelines surrounding data classification and data storage. Staff also need to be aware of how to report and handle security incidents.
Human error is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to cybersecurity, so training employees regularly is key. Cyber threats are regularly changing and evolving, and things such as ransomware attacks and phishing schemes are often used to target staff who may not know the signs of a cyber attack.
Employee training should cover the following:
Weak passwords are unsurprisingly common, despite the warnings associated with them. Employees should be encouraged to use complex, unique passwords for each account and password managers are also a good idea for keeping them secure. This also saves having to remember hundreds of different passwords – that is when people tend to keep them the same for each login.
If a breach is suspected, staff should be reminded to immediately change their passwords, and keeping them updated regularly will also keep them safer. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) requires users to provide two or more verification factors in order to be able to access a system. By adding this extra layer of security, MFA can help to reduce the risk of unauthorised access – often cyber criminals won’t have the time to attempt hacking through two layers of security.
Outdated hardware and software can become a vulnerability that cybercriminals can then exploit. Many attacks take advantage of known vulnerabilities that developers have already created a patch for. As well as regularly updating operating systems, applications and firmware, any obsolete or unsupported hardware and software should be replaced. The easiest thing to do is to enable automatic updates, leaving no vulnerabilities open to hackers.
Data loss can happen, no matter how hard you try to protect your business from cyber attacks. Natural disasters can also occur and leave your business without data, so taking regular backups is essential so you can recover critical information quickly. Here are a few best practices when it comes to regular data backups:
A secure network infrastructure is key for preventing unauthorised access to your business. Security measures should be implemented to control access to your company’s network, minimising any potential entry points for cybercriminals. As well as using firewalls to monitor and control both incoming and outgoing traffic, sensitive data should always be encrypted before being transmitted over the network. For any members of staff working remotely, it is a good idea to implement Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
While prevention is the best cure, every business should still have an incident response plan just in case they are targeted by cybercriminals. This should outline what steps need to be taken in the event of a data breach, as well as including the following:
As cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated, having a dedicated cybersecurity partner like Reality Solutions can be invaluable. Most SMBs lack the resources for an in-house cybersecurity team, so partnering with a trusted expert can help strengthen your defences. Get in touch today if you would like my cybersecurity tips and to learn more about how we can keep your business safe from cybercriminals.
*This article contains general information in order to assist all of our customers and is meant for guidance only – there are no guarantees that the information we provide will be suitable for your particular needs. If you require specific assistance, we recommend that you seek professional guidance on your individual circumstances. Reality Solutions are in no way responsible for any loss or damage arising from any information contained within our articles.