Talk to any business owner, and they will tell you that every venture has its risks. People start a business not because it is risk-free but because the reward outweighs the risk. Some of the risks involved in owning a business involve theft and vandalism. For a business owner with a physical location, these risks can be mitigated by installing CCTV cameras, biometric locks, steel doors, or hiring a nighttime security guard. For an online business, however, the idea is similar, but the method of execution differs.
For example, installing a steel door in an online business is physically impossible. However, a good firewall or antivirus software acts using the same principle. They bar online predators from illegally accessing your site. This and many more are examples of security actions for your online business.
Regularly Update Your Website
Criminals do not discriminate between small businesses and well-established ones. However, small businesses are more likely to face an attack than successful businesses. Over 90 percent of online start-ups face a data security breach because business owners take a long time to install a security system.
In addition to utilizing the data protection systems available, you must constantly update your web page. The reality is that the data security industry is continually evolving. You must continue developing an unbreachable website to protect the user and organizational data from hackers.
To avoid becoming a victim of a cybercriminal attack, maintain your software and devices with the current security updates. This is especially true for businesses that use WordPress. Outdated WordPress plugins frequently contain security flaws, making the website an appealing target for hackers.
Improve Your Mobile Security System
The need to improve Search Engine Optimization techniques has incentivized companies to make their websites inclusive of all devices. Since mobile phones are always in the palm of your hands, it is not uncommon for an employee to try and log in to the business website through it. However, this opens up a new avenue of limitless possibilities in which a hacker might try to piggyback on an employee’s device and into the website.
Resolving popular mobile cybersecurity threats is important for ensuring the best possible data breach protection. The world is more digitalized than ever, which could represent a security risk to many businesses. Including a layer of mobile software, security protection is one of the major developments in cybersecurity trends among businesses.
Educate yourself and your employees about the potential dangers of using mobile phones to log in to the company website and address those issues accordingly.
Layer Your Defense System
Smaller websites are more vulnerable to attacks because they have weak points in their system. This doesn’t have to be the case with your website. Ensuring every aspect of it is protected from breach guarantees your customers that their data and yours are safely protected.
Requesting your customers to set up their accounts with password-protected features with strong password suggestions is one step towards a protected site. Installing a firewall, anti-spyware, anti-virus, and antimalware ensures a hacker has no way of slipping into your network.
Handling all these tasks by yourself while managing your business can be an overwhelming experience. Hiring an IT department, on the other hand, can be quite expensive for a start-up. However, some companies allow you to outsource their services. For example, StickmanCyber offers SOC as a service that allows you to work on the other aspects of your business as they diligently handle its security needs.
Mandatory Employee Training
Cybersecurity threats affect the operations throughout the whole company. Therefore, it would make sense that the data protection responsibility would be left to every employee and not one department. Sensitizing employees against online scams and clicking on suspicious links will prevent them from becoming a weak link in your cybersecurity defense system.
Create Multiple Sources of Backup
The perfect system can only be achieved theoretically. At some point, your business might face a security breach that involves holding your sensitive data at ransom. Regularly creating a backup guarantees that you always have a fresh copy of uncorrupted data. These backups should be stored on different devices and in different locations. This allows you to recover from an attack after the unfortunate event.
Conclusion
Hackers are malicious individuals who have the potential of disvaluing all your hard work. However, taking the necessary steps to protect your business from a data breach or recover from one secures your company’s future.
