Going for an online business or taking up cloud services and other online offers might sound tempting for a business owner. But are you ready for the consequences and risks? Among many issues, cybercrime is still one of the most problematic situations. Hence, there is a need to enhance cybersecurity capabilities. Here are 15 tips to protect your business from cyber attack.
How about your company or business? Do you think your online security is okay? Staying protected from online attacks can be a daunting task. It is also tough to see the potential risk. So, what if you are just a small business or a new start-up? Should you invest in an expensive security? Here are the tips to protect your business from cyber attack that you need before investing in the online safety measure.
Tips On Enhancing Your Business’s Online Security
1. Keep Software And Hardware Up To Date
Keeping the software or the hardware up to date is the fundamental security measure you should do. In the case of cyber safety, be aware of potential updates on your software or hardware. What update? Anything from new features, security, fixing known bugs, and so on are what you need to keep your system running in its best condition.
What kind of software? In this case, check out the day-to-day software you are using, such as Word, PDF, browsers, antivirus, enterprise software, cloud services, and many other related software. You also need to check the firmware that may affect your firewall. Thus, you won’t lose any new security features.
Keeping the software updated can lead to higher performance needs. Thus, it is also recommended to update the hardware. Old hardware may not support recent software upgrades, and old gadgets run slower to respond to cyberattacks. Check for new updates, such as upgrading RAM, Storage, or processor.
2. Avoid Suspicious Emails or links
As a business or start-up owner, you may get a lot of emails, links, or calls. It may sound elementary, but the basic cybersecurity everyone needs to learn is to avoid opening any suspicious acts. The main reason is to avoid a Phishing scam. How does it work? It mostly works with suspicious emails and links.
A Phishing scam involves impersonating another individual or company to gain access to personal information. Whether it is your business or customers’ information, this act can lead to the worst outcome. One way may include viruses, identity theft, or simply password cracks.
In this case, you should pay attention to the links. If you see the website is not using HTTPS, you should be careful. The website will not guarantee safety whenever you transfer information between you and the service. Be aware and don’t give away personal or private information when accessing the web.
3. Consider A Secure File Sharing Solution
Do you use file-sharing services? There are many options out there, from LAN (Local Access Network) to cloud services. But is that data safe? Take an example of using email to share important data with your employees! It is not the best solution since email is not meant for exchanging vital documents. If the email is intercepted, unauthorized users may steal the data.
The idea is to use a secure connection or program, especially if you are regularly sharing confidential information. There are several options, such as using cloud services for storage or sharing. You can also enhance it with encryption so your file will be secured only to people who have access. But again, be sure the third-party services you are working with are trusted.
4. Using Anti-Virus And Anti Malware
Another basic but needed cybersecurity measurement is the antivirus and anti-malware software. In this case, don’t just get the basics. If you are a Windows user, you will get a basic defender, and that should be enough (not really). For a business or an individual with various confidential information, be sure to add another layer of protection with antivirus software.
A good antivirus or anti-malware will protect your device from viruses, ransomware, spyware, or phishing scams. Some applications will block suspicious activities (download and install) or website links. Antivirus software can also help you clean devices as needed and reset them from the pre-infected state. In today’s situation, you will need at least one on your device.
5. Secure Your Connections
Secure your connections at all costs. How? For the start, you can avoid using public networks, such as public Wi-Fi. Remember that using it means you are sharing your connection with many people who are also connected. They can access your device, information, or anything. If you can, use a VPN to make a personal connection.
If you are already working with some private Wi-Fi, try to secure it even more using WPA2 or the later version. The higher the version, the more secure it is. If you are using WPA2, up the game with a better infrastructure. You can change the SSID name and have a complex password for the access.
6. Privatize Your Connection With VPN
Make your connection more private with a VPN. VPN is a Virtual Private Network that will encrypt your connection and protect your information, even from the internet service provider. How does it work? The point is to make people use layers of security to access certain information. It is good for people working from far away.
As an example, VPNs allow employees to access your company network securely when working from home or traveling. The VPN will funnel the IP address and data through a secure connection between your internet connection and the website you want to access. It means it is hard to breach the security and find real website access.
For example, you are using public Wi-Fi at an Airport to reach your company’s website storage. To make it secure, you use a VPN as an extra layer of security between public Wi-Fi and your company storage. It will help separate hackers from important data and make access harder to breach.
7. Carry Out Risk Assessment
You might already have all the basics of cyber-attack prevention. But is it enough? This is where you need to do a risk assessment to understand the possible threat to your company networks, information, and system. Every company has a different infrastructure, which means different threats or risks.
With further assessment, you will determine whether you’re already running security is enough or if you need to add more. It is not only about anti-virus or applications to avoid hackers but also data access and users. Identify and determine how your data is stored and who can access it.
From there you can establish a clear path on what are the risk level, possible breaches, or potential impact on your company. As an example, deciding on a password or encryption key for a certain employee. Can you trust them? What is another plan B to avoid any wrongdoing? How about the potential risk of external virus or access? Be mindful of any small risk potential.
8. Encrypt Key Information
If you have a lot of key information such as bank accounts, credit cards, or other sensitive information, be sure to make an encryption storage. You can use programs to keep data safe. Encryption works by altering information on the device into an unreadable code. It is a tough last resort in protecting vital details.
How does it work? The key to this cybersecurity feature is changing the data into scribbled code. You will need a certain program to crack and read it. It is a good scenario in case your data is stolen. The hacker or the thief would not have the key to decrypt the data to decipher the information. So it will be safe.
9. Back Up Your File Regularly
Cyber Attacks can happen in different types of scenarios, including removing any important data. Data loss, deletion, corruption, or anything else can affect your business greatly. That is why it is recommended to back up your file regularly. It is also best to note that every gadget has limited storage, hence the need for back up.
Consider automatic backup files to other storage such as cloud services. But make sure the third-party cloud provider is trusted for all your data. You can also use a program that will schedule a backup process. To make it safer, don’t just work with online cloud services. You also need to have an offline backup to avoid ransomware attacks.
10. Don’t Be Lazy with Your Passwords
Ensure you have a strong password. Don’t be lazy, and use one password for all. You can also make it a policy for all the employees to make or use a complex password, thus preventing any breach from inside or outside the organization. A strong password ideally has 15 characters in length ranging from a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols.
To help you maintain all the passwords, you can write them down manually on paper and save them somewhere safe. You can also use a password management tool that stores all the passwords. It will automatically generate the correct username, password, or other security questions. But again, be sure to use a trusted app or give the master password to a reliable person.
11. 2 Factor Authentications
Need more secure access? Other than the passwords, you can also enable 2 or 3-factor authentications. It’s another layer of protection to verify people who can access your account or information. It can be anything, such as passwords, fingerprints, extra questions, or face authentication. Thus, only people with high access points can read the data.
12. Don’t Underestimate Mobile Devices
Don’t forget about mobile devices used by your employees. As for now, cyberattacks come from various gadget accesses, including phones. In this scenario, imagine if your employee who knows your access stores sensitive information in their gadget. To make sure there are no leaks, you should ask the employee to protect their mobile device as well.
You can make a policy to report lost or stolen phones and tablets. Thus, you can track any potential risk or harm due to mobile device leaks. Another scenario is the fact that phones can be used to access a lot of complex functions. They can be a great cybersecurity risk when overlooked.
13. Scan External Storage for Viruses
If a cyberattack can appear from an internet connection, it can also appear from an external device. In this case, you should be more aware of the external storage device or even phone. External storage devices such as hard disks or USB disks are prone to malware. When you connect the infected device to the computer, it will spread.
That is why you always need to scan the external storage whenever you are going to access them. Use an antivirus to scan it. At some point, the problem is not only for the computer but also for the device itself. Some viruses can delete or hide important data in the storage, which is a hassle to recover.
14. Employ A White Hat Hacker
If you find your company in tons of great danger, consider employing a white hat hacker. White hat hackers are a good one. They can help you improve your security by revealing any security flaws and patching any potential risks. You can hire them to find risks that are hard to figure out, then make a proper improvement for your business security.
15. Train Your Employee
Your employee can be the best security gate for a breach counting on their involvement. There are many scenarios in which employees initiate attacks, such as leaked passwords, lost work tablets, or anything else. It is best to train your employees to use strong passwords, spot phishing, or make a policy regarding data breaches and their consequences.
The cybersecurity tips are not limited to business owners, start-up companies, or corporations. Individuals can also consider improving their online security since cyber criminals will target anyone. Be careful because numerous new criminals’ tricks are popping out here and there. It can be a virus, scam, phishing, or identity thief. Be aware and be safe!
