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There was once a time where a business only had to worry about the security at the front door. They would put up gates and cameras and everyone coming in without identification was made to sign in at the door. We’d lock the doors, set the alarms, and off we’d go. The thing is, times are a-changing and we have to keep up with them to be able to keep our businesses safe. If you’re worried about criminal activity against your business, it’s about time you start thinking about the tricks out there that you can use to keep your business safe.
The pandemic has proven to most businesses that we don’t have enough IT security, and global small businesses need IT support to thrive. We have spent a year working remotely online, and this has shown us all that we don’t have enough protection against data breaches, network interruptions, and website attacks.
There have been more data attacks in the past year during the pandemic than there have been in some time. Larger companies are just as at risk of an attack, but small businesses need to suit up and make sure that people aren’t taking advantage of them! All forms of online data can be considered a target of theft, and as a business owner, you need to take as many steps and precautions as possible to secure the small business you have.
Below, we’ve put together some of the best tricks you need to keep your business safe.
Update your passwords
Yes, you’re coming back to work at last and you’re bringing everyone back to the office. For this to work well, you need to upgrade your passwords for the servers and each individual person in your office. It doesn’t matter whether your business has two people or two hundred, upgrading the passwords will ensure that you are able to add a gate in front of the data you have online.
Get the right IT team on your side
You need to either bring in the big boss teams and have an in-house individual who knows what they’re doing, or you need to invest in getting the right IT team on your side with outsourced agencies. Either way, the right IT team is going to make a massive difference to your ability to protect your business. Scanning your website regularly to check for any weaknesses will make a big difference to your business security.
Think about encryption
Is your business website safe enough to be online? The best way to check is whether you have SSL certificates online and protecting your data. Almost all of the web hosting services out there that are worth their salt have encryption capabilities to protect your information and if yours doesn’t, then you’re exposed. Your data will be easily intercepted by third parties that you cannot trust. SSL certificates should be standard, and it’s something that you should be checking to know whether you will be correctly supported.
Update your servers
Every single program and app your company uses needs to be updated from time to time, and your server is no different. If you have a business IT support, you need to make sure that you are on top of them to keep your servers updated as much as possible. There are plenty of CMS out there that you would be using for eCommerce or your blog, and these need regular updating, too. You should receive regular notifications about this, but it’s better to ensure that you are on top of it by checking!
Protect with malware
Installing malware will help your business website to remain protected. Your protection is vital if you want to ensure that your business can continue. Malware includes things like Trojan horses and viruses, and you should ensure that you protect yourself from spyware and scareware, too. Viruses can manifest themselves in so many different avenues of your server, but you don’t have to let it!
Always back it up
Every single day, you should have a backup done for your data. If you back it up to the cloud, you’re always going to ensure that your website is covered from viruses and attacks. The backup that you do can be automated, and your IT service can save everything onto external hard drives. When you do this, you will ensure that you don’t end up with corrupted files.
Never leave your business devices unattended
This is something that you should ensure that your staff are well aware of, but leaving laptops, tablets, phones, and other business-related devices in places that people can steal them. Your equipment is sacred and the more you look after it, the better.
Don’t forget your mobile
The smartphones you all carry as a business need to be protected properly. Smartphones are useful and they are necessary, the problem is that data can be leached from these with malicious malware. If you don’t protect your smartphones and ensure that your smartphone networks are also protected, you’re going to find it hard to fight off the malware attacks that you can end up dealing with. A VPN is a good way to ensure that you can work privately on your smartphone, so why not ask your IT team to look into that?
Phishing scams are still very prevalent
They’re nothing new, but they’re also not slowing down. Phishing scams affect a range of people from all businesses and all corners of the globe. These phishing emails are designed to lure you into giving out your personal information, and they affect 80,000 people every single day.
Focus on employee training
If you don’t train all of your staff on what to look for when it comes to scams and issues, you’re going to open your business up to further issues. Employees are – while trustworthy – a security risk. Keeping your business secure is the goal for every single individual in your office. You have to consider passwords, suspicious activity training, and more.