Whether you take cybersecurity seriously is a moot point. The fact of the matter is that it exists, and whether you like it or not, you will eventually have to take steps to protect your business in order to harden your data against possible leaks, thefts, or other malevolent actions. While it can seem like a pretty daunting undertaking to get your cybersecurity protocols on point, it needn’t be as tricky as it’s made out. This guide will hold your hand through the various processes involved to get your business’s security up to snuff and thus dramatically decrease the odds of experiencing anything that could harm operations.
Ensure You Use A Trustworthy Host
Your host is your first line of defense against those wishing your business harm. As such, selecting (or moving over to) a host capable of securing your vital online presence against the worst that could be thrown its way is crucial. The better hosts have the infrastructure and resources to defend against constantly evolving threats. You can read more about how specific types of hosts have added benefits (cloud-based options providing a far more robust set of protocols, for instance), but the key is choosing one that understands the sorts of issues that business owners face. They employ expert security teams that monitor for vulnerabilities and attacks around the clock. This gives businesses peace of mind, knowing that their site and customer data are being actively protected on the back end.
Educate Your Staff Regarding Best Practices
Regardless of size, your team will always be the weakest link in the chain when it comes to security. This may not be from any malicious action on their side, but most employees have simply not had the proper training to ensure they are aware of the types of threats businesses face day in and day out. Teaching employees how to identify phishing emails and avoid clicking suspicious links can help limit accidental exposures. Explaining the importance of using strong and unique passwords for all accounts can reduce the risk of a third party accessing sensitive systems. An informed workforce plays a critical role in bolstering an organization’s overall security posture, and even a little education will go a long way.
Reevaluate All Existing Passwords
With the advent of significant and enormously damaging data breaches at even the most prominent global corporations, it has become clear that relying on passwords alone is not enough to guarantee protection from online threats. By taking a proactive approach and reevaluating all passwords currently in use, weak points can be identified and strengthened before opportunistic hackers have a chance to exploit them. Resetting accounts with known compromised passwords closes a door that criminal actors may otherwise try to pry open. Only with strong, unique passwords verified across all business platforms can an organization be confident the virtual perimeter is sufficiently protected against outside threats.
Implement A Compartmentalized Operation
Most hacks tend to occur via social engineering rather than hard code breaks. While the biggest companies will still experience backdoor entry into their systems if the prize is sufficient, many SMEs will find their employees unwittingly opening the door. Implementing procedures that restrict employees from accessing entire systems, only what is needed for their specific roles, and the potential damage from internal actors is minimized. Should an infection or unauthorized access occur, it cannot easily spread throughout the business due to these built-in restrictions. Fortunately, most modern SaaS solutions offer this kind of built-in functionality; it’s just up to you to take the time to set things up correctly.
Have A Backup And Recovery System In Place
It’s not simply the threat of data theft you have to worry about but also the idea that a nefarious actor could gain access to and hold your data for ransom. This can be especially damaging when it’s sensitive company information that can be used against you or to elicit damage. Rather than risking complete losses should infiltration occur, intelligent companies have implemented regular data backups that create copies stored securely offline. Not only this, but they have established procedures to rapidly restore all platforms should an attack occur and bring down critical systems. With sensitive business and customer information at stake, taking proactive measures through backup and recovery planning provides peace of mind. It ensures that should prevention measures falter, operations can continue with minimal disruptions.
Set Up Robust Firewalls Throughout Your IT Infrastructure
Multilayered firewalls throughout IT systems can protect against continually evolving cyberattacks. Sophisticated firewalls are needed at strategic network access points to block harmful or unauthorized traffic in real time before any damage can be inflicted. With threats originating both from outside and within, setting up robust and carefully configured firewalls helps screen out malicious activity while permitting legitimate communications.
Cybersecurity needn’t be an overly challenging task, but it is something that needs to be addressed. If in doubt, you can enlist the help of cybersecurity specialists who can set up systems to ensure your data and business remain insulated against the worst of it.
