Five Easy Ways Small Businesses Can Improve Cybersecurity
By She’s Wired Contributor Jiffy Page
Almost 50 percent of cyberattacks are on small businesses. Hackers target small businesses because they are typically less secure than larger businesses. In nearly every cyberattack, the goal is to steal and exploit sensitive data. This data includes credit card information, checkout forms, employment applications, and customer databases.
Companies that are breached must alert their clients. The notification process is confusing and expensive, and even more importantly, will likely cause irreparable harm to your business reputation.
Increasing your cybersecurity doesn’t need to get in the way of getting your work done. Here are five easy but effective things to improve your business cybersecurity:
Cover your computer’s camera. Yes, webcam spying is a real threat. When everyone from the spies at the NSA to the kid next door has access to tools that can turn a webcam against its owner, the threat is legitimate.
Use a password manager. Don’t write them down; ask your technology advisor to recommend password management. Your employees have access to the sensitive data I mentioned above and when they leave, you want to immediately remove their access. You have lots of minutiae to deal with. Passwords for your employees should not be one of them.
Prepare for Phishing emails. Phishers are sneaky and increasingly sophisticated. In fact, more than 90% of breaches start as phishing emails. Insist that your technology advisor trains your employees and installs advanced anti-malware software to reduce the risk of a successful ransomware attack.
Make sure operating system and application updates are installed regularly. Patches correct or “patch” system vulnerabilities. Most of those vulnerabilities are discovered by the “ethical” hackers who work for software companies.
Get Cyber/Breach Insurance. If you suffer a breach, the last thing you want is to figure out what you need to do. Insist that your technology advisor provide you with recommendations for such insurance. Our cyber insurance partner provides $250,000 insurance to pay for the breach notifications and will run the notification campaign for you for $99 a month.
Unfortunately, cyber threats to small businesses are real. Please, don’t wait until you’re attacked.
Questions? Concerns? Reach out to Jiffy Page at TeamLogicIT in Midtown. Office: 770-450-0910, Direct: 404-680-5341 (call or text)
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