Having robust cyber security measures is something all business owners should be thinking about, no matter the size of your business.
Keeping cyber threats at bay doesn’t have to be a daunting prospect. It’s more about putting simple processes in place that will give you the best protection and stop cyber crime from affecting your business.
Here are some tips we recommend that all small to medium businesses take on board.
Raise Awareness
One of the most crucial steps in improving cybersecurity is to educate your employees about the potential threats they may encounter.
You should make sure:
- Staff can’t download third-party apps or software without approval.
- Staff accounts should only have enough access rights to perform their job – not everyone needs administrative access.
- Only allow approved USB drives and memory cards to be plugged into machines. It could only take one USB containing malware to cause complete chaos!
- Smartphones and tablets should use complex passcodes if work emails or servers can be accessed through them. And make them trackable in case of theft.
We’d strongly advise regular training about phishing scams and best practices to keep your employees aware of the risks.
Use Strong Passwords
All your devices should be protected by a password. Every password should be strong and unique. That means don’t make it about you, your birthday, your family members or your pets – there’s probably a lot of information about you in the public domain and on social media that could help hackers.
Make your passwords as random as possible – so nothing that you’d find in the dictionary. Use different cases, numbers, and special characters to make it even more random.
On important accounts use two-step verification. For instance, if you’re a small business owner who relies on Shopify or Instagram – make sure those accounts have two-step verification to make it much harder to hack.
Password managers are a great tool for managing lots of accounts and creating the strongest passwords.
Keep Software Updated
Software vulnerabilities are often exploited by cyber attackers to gain unauthorised access to systems. Ensure that all software, including operating systems, antivirus programmes, and applications, are regularly updated with the latest security patches.
Consider enabling automatic updates to streamline this process and be sure to install antivirus software.
Backing Up Your Data
If you’re hit by a cyber-attack, you could lose all your data. That could include customer details, order info, forms, reports… the list goes on.
Make sure you have a data backup system in place to resolve any loss quickly.
Store backups securely, preferably in an offsite location, on a separate network, or in the cloud, to prevent them from being compromised in the event of a cyber-attack.
Make a Response Plan
Despite best efforts, cyber-attacks may still happen. Having a comprehensive response plan in place can help minimise the impact and facilitate a swift recovery.
It’s always best to be proactive when it comes to cyber security, to keep your exposure to threats as low as possible, minimising the massive disruption they cause. Investing in cybersecurity is an investment in the long-term resilience of your business.
We would recommend that your business get Cyber Essentials accreditation which will keep you secure. The team at Shropshire Computers can help you achieve that.
Get in touch today to find out more about the cyber security we can offer you. The cyber security landscape is constantly shifting, so having an expert team by your side is key to good cyber hygiene!
