When you turn on the news to see a significant corporation hit by a cyberattack, it may feel like the most prominent targets are large businesses. While the major companies receive the attention, cybercriminals tend to target small businesses more often because they have valuable information but do not have a powerful security infrastructure.
A cyberattack can cost your business money, not only in direct losses from the attack but in legal fees. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, cybercrime will cost businesses $2.7 billion in 2020. Knowing how to protect your company is the only way to save yourself the headache of litigation or claims you did not protect valuable information.
Back up and secure all data
Always have backups of all your data. Data includes any spreadsheets, financial files, accounts receivable and payable files, word processing documents and more. Consider offsite storage for all of your files or utilize the cloud.
Create a strong network
You do not want just anyone accessing your network. You can secure your internet connection through the use of encryption and firewalls. Hide your wireless network by not allowing it to broadcast your network name. Likewise, all passwords should be strong. Strong passwords have more than 10 characters, use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters along with special characters and numbers.
Train all employees
A lack of training is one of the major risks to a business’s cybersecurity. One of the leading causes of data breach occurs when an employee opens a phishing email and inputs sensitive data. The company should train all employees on how to spot a phishing email, avoid suspicious links and downloads, and protect customer information.
The more control you have over your business’s network, the more likely you can protect against cyberattacks.
