7 Cybersecurity Tips To Protect Your Small Business - Now!

New threats against your small business emerge every day. Cybercriminals often target small businesses because they lack the resources for in-house cybersecurity staff. In fact, nearly half of all cyberattacks target small businesses, and small businesses are more likely to be attacked than large companies. That’s why having a cybersecurity plan and maintaining information security is key to protecting your small business from future attacks.

How Does Cybersecurity Protect Business?

Any business that uses custom software or the internet is responsible for protecting the data of its employees and clients. It’s also in the best interest of your small business to have a cybersecurity strategy. Stealing digital information is one of the most commonly reported forms of fraud, making it more common than physical theft. Cybersecurity protects your business by preventing cybercriminals from being able to access, change, or destroy sensitive information in order to extort funds, steal money, or interrupt your business.

Common Information Security Threats to Small Businesses

Small businesses face many of the common cyber threats that large businesses and individuals do.

Malware: Short for malicious software, malware is any software that downloads onto your computer and wreaks havoc on your computer’s system by stealing information and overriding tasks. Malware is often downloaded secretly after a user clicks on a link or downloads suspicious software.

Phishing: Phishing is one of the most common forms of cybercrime. Hackers send emails from accounts with names that are similar to well-known addresses. In the bodies of the emails, they often ask for money or encourage people to click on a link or open an attachment that downloads malware onto their device.

Ransomware: Ransomware is a type of malware designed to disrupt computer systems until a ransom is paid, usually in the form of money. It typically functions by making certain information unavailable through encryption, making it impossible to do business until the ransom is provided.

Cybersecurity Tips To Protect Your Small Business

To ensure your small business is doing everything it can to stay protected online, follow these cybersecurity tips.

1. Train your employees in online safety. We live in a digital age, but some people aren’t online enough to know when to recognize a scam. Train all of your employees on how to recognize suspicious online activity to minimize future attacks.
2. Limit employee access to sensitive information. Avoid giving one employee access to all of your data. Only provide access to data systems necessary for a person to do their job.
3. Create an incident response plan. When an attack does occur, you want to be prepared. Creating an incident response plan sets up a step-by-step response to any cyber attack on your small business.
4. Smart passwords. Require all your employees to have strong, unique passwords that they must change regularly.
5. Develop a cybersecurity strategy. Draft this strategic plan to set procedures that will secure your business’s information and Intellectual Property.
6. Conduct vulnerability scans. Find your small business’s online weak spots by conducting a vulnerability scan.
7. Data encryption. When you encrypt your data, you protect it even in the event of a breach. All communications involving sensitive or confidential information should be encrypted.

Protect Your Small Business Now

If you’re feeling overwhelmed about setting up your small business’s cybersecurity strategy, Sol Minion Development is here to help. For over 20 years, we have been helping small businesses protect their information online and secure their data properly. It comes down to experience and expertise, which is what we bring to your project.

Contact us to learn more about creating and implementing your information security plan.

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