[BreachExchange] 8 Essential Steps To Protect Your Business From Cyber Security Threats

[Audrey McNeil]

https://www.theselfemployed.com/technology/8-essential-
steps-protect-business-cyber-security-threats/

Most small businesses believe that big companies are more susceptible to
cyber threats. However, this presumption is false and, in reality, works
the other way around. For people who produce malware and viruses, no
business is too big or too small. If they see a window of opportunity, they
will take advantage of it and attack.

Just recently, a ransomware called WannaCry affected almost 150 countries
worldwide. This cyber attack held numerous companies’ computers, data, and
sensitive files to demand ransom money.

Small business owners like you shouldn’t wait for this to happen to you. At
the very least, have a plan in place to ensure that you are as protected as
you can be. This way, when these types of attacks come your way, you will
be ready and your data will be well-guarded.

Here are some essential steps on how you can prevent cyber security
breaches:

1. Educate employees on cyber security and possible threats

For you to effectively protect your business, it is important to educate
your employees on the various cyber security threats that can affect you.
Everyone who has access to any sort of digital data or information must be
informed and trained on proper data storage, handling, and disposal to help
prevent any breaches.

This may not matter much to a determined hacker, but the point is that you
don’t have to make it easier for them.

2. Identify data that may be at risk

Create an inventory list for all your data to keep everything organized.
This should include customer data, employee records, innovative marketing
strategies, and most importantly, sensitive data and financial records.
This will allow you to keep track of where the data is stored and how
secure it is, and to perform regularly scheduled checks to ensure that no
malicious or fraudulent activity has taken place.

3. Take protective measures

Always remember that prevention is better than a cure. Don’t wait for a
security breach to occur before taking action. Put protective measures in
place by installing antivirus, firewall, and antimalware tools. Install
these programs to every employee’s computer to protect the files they
access every day.

But it’s not just the hardware and software that you have to worry about—in
some cases, people can pose a significant threat, too. This is why it is
important to check a potential employee’s personal background using a
reputable background check provider like MyLife. Doing so helps you ensure
the safety of your business, as it will help you weed out anyone that may
have a history of fraud, cyber crime, and more.

4. Back up files automatically

Make sure to backup all confidential information like emails, memos, or
anything that has to do with the company, on a regular basis. It’s
important to do this so that in the event of a cyber security attack
wherein the cybercriminals attempt to steal your information or restrict
your access to it, you won’t have to worry about losing all of your data.

5. Always use updated security programs

Security programs are there to protect you from being breached by
threatening malware and viruses. However, in order for the software to
serve its purpose and function properly, it needs to be updated constantly.

It’s important to keep them up to date because cyber criminals are
constantly creating new and advanced online threats such as viruses,
malware, worms, and spyware, and these applications will need to be
enhanced to keep them well-equipped to deal with the newest and most
malicious threats.

Also, since these security programs are your best bet in guarding against
and defeating such threats, it’s important to invest in the highest quality
software to ensure maximum protection.

6. Ensure better wireless network protection

In today’s day and age, wireless connectivity is essential to the everyday
operations of every business. However, it can also be the best route for
cyber security threats to enter. For instance, if you own a small
bed-and-breakfast with free WiFi as one of the amenities, you can open
yourself up to liability if your guests end up getting their personal
information stolen, their credit cards hacked, or become the victim of
other cyber attacks while connected to your network.

You can prevent this by taking steps to protect your wireless connection.
Securing your network and restricting access helps prevent possible
hacking, and is of course an essential step in safeguarding against online
security threats.

7. Restrict unauthorized access

Make sure that every employee only has access to the information they need
in order to do their job. Doing this prevents people from seeing
confidential files that wouldn’t be useful in accomplishing their daily
tasks.

In addition, remind your employees to regularly change passwords for
further protection.

8. Create a safe and responsive recovery plan

Whether there’s a threat or not, it’s important to have a plausible backup
plan that can be used in the event that your business experiences a breach.
This is so you can quickly save the rest of the remaining unaffected data
and avoid bigger problems.

Cyber attacks can happen anytime, without any warning signs. But with these
simple yet effective steps, you can definitely protect your business from
different kinds of cyber security threats that surround the world wide web.
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