So much goes into setting up a business that it can be a rather complex and difficult task. Depending on the size and structure of your business, you could be responsible for the wages of employees, naturally you’ll have to pay taxes and you’ll also have to consider profit margins in everything you do. After managing all these different things, the last thing you’ll want to worry about is your business being hacked.
A hacked business could mean sensitive information on your staff and customers being stolen, as well as your company losing a whole lot of money.
There are so many new businesses out there, but so many of them forget to prioritise cybersecurity. This is because they spend most of their time thinking about money, and make the mistake of putting other things aside.
The reality is, a lot of these new businesses are started on a very small amount of money, because of that, many of such people may opt to put cyber security aside for the time being, especially when you consider the financial implications. Needing to have an entire IT department or at least IT staff.
However, there are always workarounds, which is especially important for the smaller business. There are many changes that you can do to your business, at very little cost, that will ensure your finances, employees and customers are safe.
Making your business safe from typical cyberattacks is a comprehensive task, that cannot be done overnight. But, when you think about the long term implications of not having it, it’s definitely worth it. It’s definitely not a task you can cut any corners on, but the effort you put into it, will reflect in your results.
The quicker you are able to get some kind of cybersecurity policy in place the easier it will be in ensuring the safety of your business. On the flip side, there’s no time limit, you’re never too late to start with some cybersecurity efforts.
No matter how long you have been running your business, there are always some tips or information that you can use, and should use, highlighted in this article. We will let you know about 8 Cybersecurity Best Practices for Your Business .
- Protect Your Computer Systems from Cyber Attacks
To do this, you must ensure your operating system, along with your web browser and security software are all kept up-to-date with the latest iterations. Antivirus and antimalware tools are constantly receiving new virus definitions, which keeps them relevant in the never-ending battle against cybercrime. Depending on the security tool, you may want to configure it to run a scan after an update. You should also ensure software updates are installed as soon as possible.
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Complex Passwords
Making it a policy that every employee uses a complex password is one of the best approaches to cybersecurity. Make sure your employees are using a unique password for every account they own. A strong or complex password should meet these parameters:
- It should be at least 10 characters.
- It should contain at least one uppercase and one lowercase letter.
- You also want it to contain at least one number.
- If available, don’t forget to include a special character.
When it comes to multi-factor authentication, essentially, it’s a process where by individuals are required to identify themselves in more ways than your typical username and password. Since, with MFA you will need at least 2 different forms of identification, it makes it much more secure than your typical authentication methods. Your organisation should have this enabled by default, so that every employee is who they say they are, before they are given access to anything.
- Implement a Mobile Device Management Policy
With mobile devices you have a serious management and security challenge on our hands, especially if any of them have any sensitive data on them or are capable of accessing your company network.
So to start with, you’ll want to ensure all mobile phones within the vicinity of the company are password protected. They should also have antivirus software installed on them that is kept up-to-date with the latest virus definitions and security patches. If a mobile device is stolen then employees should be required to report it, immediately.
The company should have a list of approved apps that employees are able to use to access the network or while on the network. The use of public Wi-Fi should be prohibited, while backing up files should be something that is done regularly, as standard mobile device management policy.
- Backup Your Data
All the computers at your company should have their data backed up regularly. The most important data, such as databases, documents, spreadsheets, financial data, human resources, accounts for payments and receivables. If possible, this should all be backed up, automatically, on a weekly basis, or daily, if possible. This information should be backed to an offsite location or in the cloud, to ensure its safety.
- Do Not Use Public Wi-Fi
Above it was mentioned that, as policy, you should prevent your employees from accessing the company network while hooked up to a public Wi-Fi access point.
In some instances, it may be considered okay to do this, when using a VPN, however, for safety purposes, I’d recommend that you just outright barred it.
This is because cybercriminals love to lay in wait on public Wi-Fi networks, making them very dangerous, no matter where you use them. Whether at a café, airport or restaurant. If you lack any real control over a network you’re using, or are unfamiliar with the kind of security it has, then you should refrain from using it.
If you have remote workers at your company or employees that are constantly moving around, then you could simply invest in a portable 4G hotspot.
- Secure Your Network
Make sure you have all the necessary security on your network (hidden, encrypted, etc.). To hide a network, simply set your wireless access point to not broadcast its name (Service Set Identifier (SSID)). You should also have a password for your router. If you have remote workers, then they should be required to use a VPN (virtual private network) when logging into the company network.
- Implement an Incident Response Plan
Despite all the things you may do to keep things secure, it’s always best to have a plan in place, in the event that it does fall prey to such an attack. It’s important that if your company was to experience an incident, that all the employees would be equipped with the right information to handle it. When you have a response plan in place, it makes it much easier for an attack to be identified and properly combatted to lessen the damage.
- Limit Access to Certain Data
Make sure you segment your data systems, so no one employee has access to everything. Each employee should only have access to the data that they actually need to carry out their duty as an employee. The installation of new software should also be prohibited.
AUTHOR INFO
Uchenna Ani-Okoye is a former IT Manager who now runs his own computer support website compuchenna.co.uk