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Top 10 Cybersecurity Tips for Keeping Your Small Online Business Safe

If you are thinking of launching your own online business, it’s important that you know the right strategies and tools to keep it protected and safe from hackers. With web threats being more present than ever, encountering an external attack can result in devastating consequences for your business. Whether you have experience in running a company, or you’re new to the game, here are ten useful cybersecurity tips that you need to know about, helping to ensure your day to day operations go smoothly and accordingly to plan.

Learn About Malware

You would never dream about leaving your back door unlocked when going to sleep, so it’s important that you use the right strategies when it comes to keeping cyber criminals away from your business. Malware is a software that is designed to damage your PC or network without you even knowing about it. This malicious software can cause huge damage to your business, so taking the right measures to shield your company from malware is crucial. Whether it’s by applying a firewall, using the best security software on the market, or cleaning up your email list, every little helps when it comes to keeping your business protected.

Write Your Business Policy

It doesn’t matter how big or small your company is, online crime can happen to the best of us, so if you don’t have in house IT support working around the clock to keep your business safe, you could be an easy target to hackers. Creating a business policy that outlines measures that you and your employees should take is important. There are several things that should be included in your business policy, such as which applications can be loaded onto your company computers, consequences that will occur if a policy is not followed, as well as the importance of using strong passwords. Make sure that your team know about how to use their email accounts correctly, which will reduce the risk of them passing on data that is confidential.

Understand Social Media

With billions of people from across the world using social media platforms such as Facebook, the chances are you will need to get in on the action and set up your own Facebook business page as a way to engage with your consumers. If you don’t have the time to manage the account yourself, you will need to hand over confidential data and passwords to employees, so teaching your team about the best guidelines and practices of social media will reduce the risk of any important information being passed to the wrong person. Deciding who can speak on behalf of your business, and only publishing information that you’re comfortable with will help keep your company safe.

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Use Strong Passwords

We all use passwords to access our personal and professional accounts. Whether it’s for social media, online shopping, or for business purposes, you will know only too well how important it is to use strong passwords which will make it harder for hackers to gain access to your account. The more characters and keystrokes you include in your password, the stronger it will be. It’s advised to have at least eight characters, as well as include embedded numbers. From time to time, you should change passwords too. Also, make sure that you educate your team about the importance of keeping passwords safe. The last thing you want is for employees to write down passwords on their cell phones, as you can never be too sure who is watching or who has access to them.

Speak to Your Employees

Running a successful business is all about teamwork. Therefore, keeping your employees in the know on the latest developments of your company, as well as how to keep your business protected is crucial. As the head of a company, you need your team to follow suit and know the right measures to take to ensure your business is safe and protected from internet hackers. If you’ve ever had an employee send out sensitive or confidential information without your say so, you’ll know the outcome can be disastrous to your business, so showing your employees what sorts of information are confidential, and the types of potential problems that can occur from these kinds of files or documents getting out will eliminate the risk of it happening again.

Regular Backups

In the event of a ransomware attack, it’s essential that you have a strong backup policy in place, meaning you can access and recover critical data as and when you need it. Backups must be tested to ensure that files can be easily recovered. The last thing you want to do is wait until disaster strikes to test whether important information and data can be recovered. It’s advised to use the 3-2-1 approach which consists of three backup copies on two different sorts of media, as well as one copy that’s stored securely offsite.

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Secure Wi-Fi Network

If you use a wireless network in your business, you need to make sure that it’s protected and safe for whomever uses it. Making sure that it’s secured, and the data is encrypted will mean that potential hackers won’t be able to access your business network. Also, ensure that you change your default password, and if you are working outside of the office, be wary about using public Wi-Fi networks. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry could be viewing your confidential data without you realizing.

Implement a Web Filter

Using a web filter can add an extra layer of protection against web-based attacks by stopping employees from accessing phishing websites that are filled to the brim with malware. Using a DNS-based web filter can ensure wireless and wired networks are protected, even for remote workers. Its main purpose is to block malware downloads, as well as stop users from accessing dangerous pages that serve no purpose in the workplace.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Cyber hackers will be delighted if they’re able to gain access to a PC network with the click of a button. Therefore, it’s important that you use at least one other method of authentication on your business accounts. If your login credentials are compromised in any way, an extra factor should be used to gain access to a network or account, such as an SMS message.

Undergo Training

In the business world, there is always something new to learn. Whether you have years of experience, or you’re just starting out, keeping up to date with the latest cybersecurity threats will help you stay on top and ensure your business is safe. You may be interested in signing up to a cyber security training course that can teach you all there is to know about how to protect your business from data leaks and hackers. This type of training could be beneficial to your employees too, so check out Find Courses for more information on the types of training on offer.

Before you launch your business to the online market, it’s crucial that you take the tips listed above into account to add an extra layer of protection and security to your business operations. The last thing you want to do is put tons of hard work, effort, and money into a company with the fear of external hackers accessing and stealing your personal information and data, so doing all that you can to strengthen your internet security is important.

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