Any data that companies create, collect, store, and exchange are valuable assets to those companies. This is the reason why it is important to safeguard your business data from corruption, cyber attacks, and unauthorized access, whether internal or external. Cybersecurity is a much-needed strategy since when you protect your business data, your company is protected from financial loss, reputational damage, brand defacing, and consumer confidence disintegration. Let us see some of the strategies that small companies employ to protect their business data.
Monitor the use of your computer systems and equipment
Small companies may not have too many computer systems so keeping tabs on their equipment shouldn’t be that difficult. This is to make sure that they are secure and free from forbidden access. There is also a need to put a constant reminder to staff to be careful with where and how they keep their devices, the networks they connect to, and the USB sticks and external hard drives they connect to their systems.
All software that is no longer needed or in use should be taken out with special care not to leave any sensitive information on them. Leaving them in your computer systems when you no longer need them can serve as backdoors through which criminals can cyber attack your business data.
Use email encryption and security solutions.
Using email encryption is necessary for your small business cybersecurity plan if you must protect your business data. This is to ensure that your emails are only read by the people they are intended for. Hackers are always developing more sophisticated cyber-attacks with every passing time and also transforming their business to have access to corporate information with even more value than the usual customer data.
Modern email encryption solutions are seamlessly integrated into commonly used email platforms. They are easy to use and I see no reason why any business organization shouldn’t be embracing the habit. Financial institutions, health insurance providers, and even hospitals are incorporating email encryption to safeguard their data these days. The use of virtual private networks (VPN) has proven useful for the protection of data being shared. A look at the best VPN reviewed will avail you of the necessary pieces of information about the best choice of VPN to use for your small business against cyber attacks.
Regulate and manage your passphrases
Password security is another important cybersecurity element. Using passphrases is one innovation that has scaled over some disadvantages of using passwords. Instead of the regular password, it is a phrase that is a collection of different words. Also do not include personal information on the password like the phone number or address. That would reduce the probability of it being susceptible to any form of permeation. This is because they will be simple for humans to remember but very difficult for any machine to crack. Many small companies use it to protect access to their devices or networks that hold important business information. For password security, a secure passphrase should have long words of say fifteen characters and say five or six of such words. The longer the characters for each word and the number of words, the more difficult it would be for an attacker to bridge your walls.
Embracing a policy of backing up your data
It is important to always keep a duplicate of your important business data somewhere else. Some hackers sometimes come for your data and put it for ransom requesting that you pay some fee for them to have it released to you. These are called ransomware and it would mean that you get stuck until you pay that fee because you wouldn’t have anything to work with. This is where the importance of backup data on say cloud storage is.
When a computer or server is attacked, it is very unlikely that your business data wouldn’t have been compromised in the process. You may need to reinstall your systems to maintain the integrity of your devices and you would lose any important data that you had not successfully backed up. Company formation services will advise you beforehand of taking this kind of precautions, especially as a small business.
Stick to the policy of multi-factor authentication
Your business data would be a lot safer if it is more difficult to gain access to it even legitimately. Having a multi-factor authentication can prove to be very useful here because the process requires that two or more proofs of identity be provided to access your account. An example is a system requesting your password and a good-to-go-through click from the system of a more senior staff member who would have received a notification that you are trying to sign in. It is an extra layer of cybersecurity to make it more difficult for attackers to gain access to your online accounts or devices.
Final word
Protecting your business data has become a topic of paramount importance these days. A small business cannot afford to lose this prized asset or have it compromised in any way. The loss of intellectual property can deal the owner a devastating blow, especially in terms of income generation. With the way attackers are continuously revamping their business know-how, it remains to be seen how the fear of cyber attacks stops unsettling small companies. If you can adopt the strategies in this write-up continuously for your small company, your business data will always be protected.
