When it comes to business, cyber-attacks do not discriminate, regardless of the size of your company. Despite the fact that data breaches at corporations and government agencies appear to be the focus, small businesses are at the top of the list. Small businesses are under-protected in general, owing to the “belief” that they cannot afford the same level of security as major organizations. Adequate data security isn’t out of reach. We’ve compiled a list of six cyber security advice for small business owners.
1. Making risk assessments a top priority
When developing a cyber-security program, one of the first steps a business can do is to conduct a risk assessment.
It’s the only way to ensure that the controls you choose are appropriate for the risks your business confronts.
Without a risk assessment, the organization is more likely to overlook threats that could have disastrous repercussions.
Similarly, you may waste time and money repairing situations that are unlikely to occur or will not result in substantial harm.
After all, there’s no purpose in enacting policies to defend against incidents that aren’t likely to happen or won’t have a significant impact on the company.
Adopting the concepts specified in ISO 27001, the international standard for information security management, is the best way to conduct a risk assessment.
Its best-practice methodology is centered on the risk-management process, which assists organizations in understanding the risks and solutions related with people, processes, and technology.
2. Recognize and accept your flaws
Compare your current security technology and software to what is available on the market. When considering new possibilities, price is always a factor, but the most expensive option isn’t always the best option for you.
3. Make two-factor authentication available.
You may be familiar with 2FA from other sites you use, such as banking apps. To get access, the user must provide two methods of authentication, such as a password and a PIN number, making it more difficult for fraudsters to guess the user’s login information. If you don’t want to rely on set numbers and codes, you can utilize program like Microsoft/Google Authenticator, which will provide you an authorization message that you can accept or reject.
Only a few people will be able to use 2FA. In this case, you may want to consider different security measures. Biometric authentication and one-time passwords are two examples of such methods. One-time passwords (also known as dynamic passwords) are temporary passwords that can be used on any device and are only valid for one use or transaction. For one-time usage, the user will receive an automatically generated alphanumeric password to their phone or email. This is more suitable for part-time workers or freelancers.
Biometric authentication is a type of sign-in that relies on an individual’s unique bodily traits, such as fingerprints, face, or voice. Although some laptops and smartphones come with built-in fingerprint or voice authentication, we’ve also listed a couple of third-party providers.
4. Educate your workers
Your employees should be included in the security plan for your small business.
Create a company-wide cybersecurity policy. It should include information on cybersecurity best practices that you want your employees to adopt. Include policies for protecting the privacy of employees, vendors, and customers. In the event of a breach, your cybersecurity policy should include protocols that employees must follow.
Encourage staff to create strong, one-of-a-kind passwords for each account. They should have passwords for all of their computers and mobile devices, as well as strong passwords for their corporate accounts.
Make sure your employees use two-factor authentication wherever possible. This entails a two-step sign-in process that offers an extra layer of security to accounts. To use the sign-in technique, employees will require another device or a code.
Send out information security recommendations to staff on a regular basis, especially when you learn new things or implement new security procedures.
5. Limit who has access
Unauthorized users are denied access to the company’s computers and accounts. Even a well-known and trustworthy person shouldn’t have access to computers and information that they aren’t supposed to have access to. You shouldn’t, for example, let a client use your company laptop to look up information.
Employees of various ranks and jobs may have varying levels of access to technology. Employees should not reveal personal information with their social networks. A salesman, for example, should not have access to an accountant’s firm accounting software password.
Wherever practical, provide employees their own logins. This will assist you in limiting the rights of those employees.
6. Wi-Fi that is password-protected
Hackers can easily gain access to data by connecting to it via Wi-Fi. Set up two distinct accounts for your company’s Wi-Fi: one for the public and one for the private. Visitors should have access to the public Wi-Fi, while employees should have access to the private Wi-Fi. If required, limit Wi-Fi access to personal computers and mobile devices.
7. Detection and Response of Advanced Endpoints
Advanced endpoint security protects your data from malware, viruses, and cyber threats. The latest technologies protect against fileless and script-based threats, and can even handle a ransomware attack, as a replacement for obsolete anti-virus applications.
8. Research on the Dark Web
Companies can be proactive in preventing data breaches by being aware of stolen passwords and accounts for sale. A good security system will scan the Dark Web and take the necessary steps to protect enterprises.
9. Prepare for the unexpected
Smart business owners are now insuring their income and assets against cyber damage and recovery. That way, if everything else fails, you’ll have experienced help on hand and any unexpected costs will be paid from the start.
10. Incident and Event Management in Security
SIEMs nowadays examine event and security log information from linked network devices using big data engines. Cutting-edge SIEM tools increase protection, improve compliance, and enable forensic investigation by using data aggregation, correlation, and dashboard alerts.
Protecting Your Company’s Operations
Finally, it’s worth emphasizing that all of the above actions are critical to cybersecurity. When it comes to unwanted attention and full-scale attacks from scammers, prevention is better than cure, as the old adage goes. To put it another way, device and network security is no longer a pipe dream. It is critical in today’s economic world.
The targeted organization is not directly responsible for cyber-attacks. Nonetheless, such catastrophe puts the sufferer at danger of negligence litigation, legal actions for contract breach, regulatory compliance, and loss of trust.
The SME sector accounts for more than four-fifths of all breaches. Surprisingly, if the most up-to-date technology had been available, nearly all cyber-attacks (97 percent) might have been avoided. Furthermore, new rules, such as the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) framework, require organizations to prioritize security in order to avoid hefty fines.
We recommend contacting us right away if your local IT support needs help with some of the security measures. Our team will be delighted to assist you.
When it comes to business, cyber-attacks do not discriminate, regardless of the size of your company. Despite the fact that data breaches in businesses and government agencies appear to be emphasized.
