The Importance of Cybersecurity for your Small Business

[This article was written by Katie Perkins.]

Heading into 2019, more and more business is sure to be conducted online, increasing the risk for cyber security breaches as well. Any company, large or small, that uses technological devices, should be preparing for potential breaches. Despite the common belief that cyber criminals exclusively target big companies, these attackers target businesses of all sizes. Hacks can actually be more detrimental for small businesses as it has been reported that sixty percent go out of breached business within six months of a cyber attack. If you run a small business, this means that protection of your digital assets is imperative for success. Keep in mind that cybersecurity can either break or make business opportunities and should be carefully curated for your small business. Here are a few foolproof ways to increase your cybersecurity:

Use secure external device tools

From making phone calls and sending emails to interacting via virtual meetings, multiple devices are utilized for business every day. When your employees are using these devices, you’ll want to ensure they all have the same security measures in place. An easy way to ensure your company equipment is in sync is by implementing secure unified communication tools that make switching devices seamless.

Create a data backup strategy

Develop a backup recovery plan for all company and employee data on your hardware to stay a step ahead of threats. Start this process by implementing an automatic backup system that saves sensitive data immediately. On the other hand, if you prefer to back data up manually, assign an individual to do so daily to reduce your risk of losing important documents. Another important thing to consider is storing copies of all backed up information within an external storage medium, such as the cloud or external hard drive.

Set strong passwords

One simple thing that your employees can do to contribute to your protection plan is creating strong passwords that are difficult to hack. Without the use of these strong passwords, email accounts will be much easier for cyber criminals to gain access to. You might be asking “what constitutes a strong password?” Strong passwords have any combination of lower and upper case letters, include special characters, and are void of personal information such as names, birth dates or home addresses.

Install antivirus software

Boost your company’s defense system by loading anti-spyware or antivirus software on your devices to make it difficult for criminals to access and steal information. Antivirus allows your company devices to stay one step ahead of cyber thieves by monitoring any potential security holes and reporting on unusual activity in real time.

Following these tips can help build your small company’s defenses against hackers and thieves heading into the new year. From installing the appropriate checkpoints to devising plans for how to handle backup, a lot of these solutions can be implemented quickly.

Author Bio:

While Katie isn’t writing about all things technology, she enjoys running, photography and curling up on the couch with her dog and a good book.