In a time when data breaches and cybercrime are becoming more common place, businesses need to ensure that they are taking basic precautions to protect against these potential breaches. In 2014, eBay suffered a data breach in which 145 million users’ personal details were obtained. In 2017, one of the worst data breaches in terms of sensitivity of the compromised data came in the form of credit reporting company Equifax, affecting 145.5 million people.
These breaches cost both companies huge financial losses while seriously damaging their security credibility. While larger companies are at risk of cyber-attacks, small businesses tend to be more vulnerable than larger companies. A security breach will not only cause your client to lose confidence, it could also cause considerable disruption to your business. Here are 5 steps that you can implement in your business today to try to prevent this happening.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
This is also sometimes referred to as two-step verification or dual factor authentication. This is a very effective way to ensure that the person who is logging into the device is who they say they are. The security process is one in which the user provides two different authentication factors to verify themselves. For to access your information, the hacker would require a combination of your password, email, physical device or biometrics making this a highly effective way to combat a breach.
Secure Devices & Networks
Deciding to update your security after you have had a breach could be a costly gamble. The best strategy if you do not have an IT specialist within your business or company is to hire an outside agency to do a full assessment on your network and devices. If you have a website, ensure that it is being maintained, and that its security is updated regularly. If your website states “Not Secure” in its URL, clients may be discouraged from visiting your website due to the possible network risk.
Educate Your Team
Are you and your team up to date on the possible cyber security threats your business may encounter? Can you recognise phishing scams in which malware and viruses are sent? If not, then it might be worth investing in training on the various types of security threats to help tighten your cyber security. These cyber threats are constantly evolving meaning regular training is essential.
Data Backup and Recovery
There are several situations besides a cyber-attack that can cause a loss of customer data such as power outage, server crash or human error to name a few. A large-scale loss of customer data could highly damage your business. To protect against this, implementing an automated remote data or cloud system is a great solution. Having your files encrypted externally ensures they can be restored quickly.
Set Automatic Security Software Updates
With a business to run, updating your security software may be something that gets overlooked. One of the best solutions is to set your security software to update automatically, this will ensure that your system is never left unsecure.
