You might have a secure physical entrance to your business. But if you haven't considered a digital security strategy then you're leaving your door wide open to cybercriminals.
The truth is that hackers don't just target big businesses. In fact more than 40 percent of cyber attacks are directed at smaller businesses and often the associated costs are enough to sink them.
Read on to find out some things you should do to protect your business from a digital standpoint.
Digital security shouldn't just be something that's solely left to your IT services. All management and staff should be aware of potential threats (like opening suspicious emails on a network) and be educated to reduce the risks.
That doesn't mean that you need to spend a lot of time or money to teach cybersecurity at all levels. That could mean adding some key pointers about cybersecurity into training manuals or hosting meetings to assess how secure each department is.
It's a good idea to have an ongoing review of your network to ensure it's operating efficiently. However it can also find potential deficiencies in your network that could let criminals in.
A specialist can help you set up a secure network that's only accessible to those with the right credentials. It can also help block those looking to gain access from the outside to scoop sensitive data.
Cybercriminals can hold your data hostage requiring you to pay a fee to unlock it. That also means you will lose money from doing business during this time until you comply with the demands.
However if you have a backup of your data on an external drive (that can be kept off-site) then you have a quick backup to turn to so you don't have to shut down operations like some businesses and even municipalities have.
A disaster recovery plan will help you get ahead of data breaches or loss of data so you'll already be a step ahead.
It's not just about protecting your data—it's about protecting the data of others. Not just from a moral or reputation standpoint but from a legal one too.
There are certain laws such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act that dictate businesses must have security measures in place for certain information. For example you might have names addresses and credit card information for clients that you should guard. In the case of big data breaches the company could face a lawsuit as a result.
Companies these days have many workers off-site and they're using mobile devices to communicate or exchange data.
Because of this you should have mobile device management as part of your strategy. You could also outline to your staff how the devices can be used—for example not for personal communications.
Having a digital security strategy in place is an important way to protect yourself against cyberattacks as well as protecting sensitive client data.
From making security part of the company culture to backing up data regularly you can ward off or survive digital criminals.
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