The Best Ways to Keep Your Business Data Safe from Cyber-Thieves

Regardless of their size or industry, every business is vulnerable to cybersecurity threats in one way or another. Large corporations store everything from sensitive client and personnel data to proprietary information and budgets on servers. Retailers have detailed inventories and records. Even small, local businesses likely have stored accounts payable and receivable information that they wouldn’t want to get into the wrong hands. If you’re connected to the internet, you could be a target of cyber-criminals. These thieves always seem to find new ways to steal data, but the more you know about protecting yourself, the easier it is to catch up.

Understand the Threats

First, let’s look at some common and popular hacks that cyber-criminals like to use. You’ve probably heard of email phishing schemes, in which an unsuspecting employee clicks a link on an email disguised as coming from a known business. Once they’ve clicked, the cyber-thieves have access to their computer, and in many cases, their entire network.

Criminals can also set up public wi-fi hotspots with names that sound innocent like “public internet.” If a person connects their smartphone to these networks, a thief can compromise their device in seconds.

Particularly concerning is the rise of ransomware, in which a virus is installed through a phishing or similar scheme with the thief demanding a payment in cryptocurrency to release the system. Many companies are left with no choice but to pay, even though there is no guarantee the criminals will keep their word.

Install Security Hardware and Software

When it comes to protecting your network, first thing’s first: outfit your system with hardware like next generation firewalls to set up encryption and security. Next, make sure you have a reputable, up to date antivirus software licensed and installed across your network. It is always a good idea to hire a professional IT firm to properly set these up for you. It may seem expensive, but it will be a drop in the ocean compared to the lost profits you would incur if your network is frozen, or the hard costs of paying off ransomware.

Specific Protection for Online Businesses

Let’s look for a moment at online businesses, that conduct their transactions solely over the internet. Perhaps you sell homemade items or perform consulting services from a home office. While you are not susceptible to some of the threats traditional brick-and-mortar locations must face, if you’re collecting payment information, you’re still a ripe target. Cyber-criminals may come after you even harder because they may assume you’re unprotected.

A few simple steps can make it infinitely more difficult for criminals to break into your online business data. First, make sure your site is hosted by a PCI-compliant web provider. Next, use HTTPS, as opposed to HTTP in your web address to keep information that’s exchanged secure. Lastly, make sure you are backing up your system frequently to external servers, hard drives, or clouds. If your security is compromised, you may be able to restore your system from a backup if you catch the issue quickly enough.

Train your Staff to Recognize Dangers

Whether you’re self-employed, have a few employees, or oversee hundreds of people, you need to make sure they understand cyber-threats, and how to recognize phishing schemes. In addition, set up best practices that limit the use of flash drives or personal email accounts. Many businesses ban both altogether. Try to stay positive rather than threatening. Create online security quizzes and offer prizes if you can. If you’re a solo practitioner, spend a few minutes each week researching the latest in cyber-threats and how to prevent them.

Stay Vigilant and Up-To-Date

Always, always keep your software up to date. Install antivirus updates as soon as they become available and ensure that your staff does the same. If it’s possible to automate this as a push, so much the better. Reliable up-to-date software and hardware and secure web hosting should mitigate most cyber-threats, but at the end of the day, awareness and vigilance are your best allies against e-criminals.