3 Crucial Cyber Security Tips For Small Businesses in 2022
Effective cybersecurity measures are becoming the backbone of most businesses globally, especially ones that sell and receive payments online in lieu of brick and mortar outlets. Small businesses usually have a lot to deal with from paying wages and taxes to spending on marketing and production and so forth so many of them may not realize how crucial cybersecurity is to their continued success and safety. The business can endure financial losses, lose customer trust and suffer from data loss if cybercrime attempts are successful.
1. Prevent Employee Negligence
A little known fact is that human negligence or lack of awareness is a huge factor in the success of cybercrime initiatives. Smaller businesses despite their limited means should educate and train their employees on internet and information systems security and share a cybersecurity protocol for everyone to keep track of.
Training if it is company mandated should be standard so that all employees have the same information about how to conduct their online activities. Phishing attempts are some of the most common and dangerous types of malware attacks and what makes them uniquely problematic is that they can get through and compromise a system through simple means such as spam emails or browser malware attacks. If employees know how to handle themselves in the IT sphere, they can reduce the chances of a phishing attack becoming successful, especially when dealing with sensitive information.
2. Obligatory Firewall And Antivirus
A quality antivirus subscription is a small investment that can be hugely beneficial for the cyber health of a small business. Make sure a good quality antivirus software is installed on all systems and turned on 24/7. If possible the business should hire IT technicians to monitor the threats the firewall or antivirus system is picking up. In some cases, malware getting through successfully is a numbers game so there are often repeated attempts before one finally gets through.
Antivirus software can typically handle and eliminate a vast array of threats (new forms of malware emerge all the time so keeping the software updated is essential) such as keyloggers, Trojan horses, adware, dialers, rootkits, spyware, and so on. Antivirus software should be used in conjunction with a firewall for maximum protection.
Firewalls are monitoring networks that are always analyzing incoming web traffic and isolating malware and other security threats before they can have an effect. Penetration testing services conducted through IT security companies can also isolate loopholes in your online security system that a hacker can utilize to gain access.
3. Virtual Private Networks
Many small businesses have outsourced various aspects of their operations to employees who work from other countries or cities or from home so VPNs are a good option if the business cannot afford an internal network of their own. An employee with considerable access could put the business in danger even with something as simple as using public internet facilities. A VPN can mask identity and prevent a range of malware attacks. Free VPNs are for obvious reasons not as effective as paid versions.
