If you’re asking if you’re vulnerable online, the short answer is yes, a big yes to be exact. It’s disheartening but small businesses are most vulnerable. Devoid of deep pockets, these small enterprises will most likely fold if a cyberattack happens. Study shows 6 % of small companies have closed after 6 months of being hacked. In any case, whether big or small a hacker can cause untold damage if you’re not careful.
Imagine the trouble a cyberattack can get you. It can compromise your customer base. What happens if customer names are exposed along with debit and credit card information. The damage can be extreme. This is what happens to Adobe, a world-renowned software company. Back in 2013, hackers stole nearly 3 million credit card accounts of its clients. All in all, there were 153 million customer records that were impacted. Due to the hack, the company had to pay its users an amount that runs into millions. And that just for starters.
Fortunately, as crippling as a hack is it’s not made in heaven. It can be thwarted. Though it certainly is a long and winding road, keeping your business secure from online threats can be minimized. Take note that it’s all about vigilance and keeping your systems always updated. As they say, customer information for online shenanigans is as shiny as the money in the cash register.
Secure Your Server
Know that keeping your business afloat is a responsibility for everyone in your team, from the management level to entry-level workers. The same holds true for online security. You have to tell your people that these attacks have the potential of sabotaging your business.
It’s important therefore that everyone knows how to protect the business. Take note that certain cyberattacks can start as opening a simple email. Phishing attacks, for one, can be in the form of an email or a text. Once the hacker gains access he can use it to further invade the system. Training your employees, in this regard, should be done regularly.
So a good start is to secure your server. Think of it as you would a ship sailing in the Caribbeans. You’ll never really be able to know when the pirates would come, but keeping your crew always vigilant can be an advantage on your part.
Thus, ensure your server has limited points of entry. That way your company and consumer data are protected. To do that, never forget to set up firewalls. Additionally, always keep backup data offsite. This way you can get up quickly in case a hacker gets in.
Get Online Security Experts
Think of a cyberattack as a disaster. It can happen to anyone even with the most robust online defense. It’s for this reason that focusing on business continuity is a good strategy. This ensures that even when a cyberattack has compromised the system, your business is still able to continue functioning in no time.
For instance, this why business continuity solutions for managed services are important. Managed service providers (MSPs) are a great ally for many industries these days as they help manage a business from the outside. By ensuring business continuity, MSPs can get your business up and running quickly even when you experience an outage. Seeking professionals with the experience and the expertise to ensure business continuity happens, therefore, is wise.
Keep Emails Clean
Truth be told, emails can be your weakest point of entry. It can be partially due to workers who let their guard down and succumb to social engineering methods for one. To counter this, employ software that looks into company emails regularly.
Again, education is key. Make sure your employees are warned about how opening unsuspecting emails can be damaging to your enterprise as a whole.
Anti-virus Software
We can’t overemphasize the importance of anti-virus programs. Humans can grow tired of being vigilant, but not software. They do what they are programmed to do. Take note that you can also explore cloud-based systems that can protect your data.
Password Protection
There’s a reason laptop and every company device that can access the internet has a password. It’s for everyone’s safety. Remember that it just takes one access point for hackers to converge and throw all their effort into it.
So encourage your employees to employ not-so-common passwords. Best of all, they must change these personal data regularly. In addition, you can also employ two-factor authentication to protect accounts and top-level programs.
Two-factor authentication is a surefire way to ensure only the person who is given the authority can have access to pertinent data or programs of the company. This is a standard feature in many of the most popular software today. A good example is Payoneer.
Stay in the Know
If you’re keeping your online security to yourself (and not via a team of IT experts), you need to be kept abreast of the threats that could infiltrate your system. It’s paramount then that your anti-virus software and other key components in your cyber protection is up to date.
Hackers are relentless creatures. They know they can only get paid if they get the hack right. So they employ every trick on the book to get in.
Making sure you’re also regularly updating your system can go a long way to keep these threats out. By doing so, you ensure your profits go up by leaps and bounds in the near future.
