In the past few years, we have seen an increase in cyberattacks against small businesses. While large businesses have more resources to devote to cybersecurity, small businesses are often seen as easier targets. This is because they often lack the robust security measures that larger businesses have in place and cybercriminals depend on that information to launch their attacks.
There are a few things that small businesses can do to better protect themselves from cyberattacks.
Understand the Risks
Cybercriminals are constantly changing their tactics, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest threats. Be sure to educate yourself and your employees on the different types of attacks that exist and how to spot them.
These risks can include the following:
- Phishing attacks: Emails or websites that look legitimate but are actually designed to steal your information.
- Malware: Software that is installed on your computer without your knowledge and is used to collect your personal data or damage your system.
- Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks: An attempt to make a website or server unavailable by flooding it with requests.
- SQL injection: A type of attack that allows a malicious user to execute code on a database.
Once you understand the risks, you need to develop a plan to mitigate them.
Implement a Security Plan
Putting a security plan in place is one of the best things you can do to protect your business from cyberattacks. Over the years, more options have become available to act as that padding, so now there’s really no excuse not to have some form of cybersecurity in place.
Your security plan should include the following:
- Firewalls: Devices that control traffic between your network and the Internet.
- Anti-virus software: Software that detects, prevents, and removes malware from your computers.
- Two-factor authentication: A process that requires two forms of identification, such as a password and a fingerprint, to log in to an account.
- Encryption: A process that scrambles data so that it can only be decoded by someone with the right key.
Developing a security plan is just the first step—you also need to make sure you are implementing it correctly. That means regularly updating your software and keeping all of your devices patched. Additionally, you should have procedures in place so that you can quickly respond to any incidents that do occur.
Make Cybersecurity a Priority
Ultimately, the best way to protect your business from cyberattacks is to make cybersecurity a priority. That means ensuring that everyone in your organization—from the CEO to the entry-level employees—is aware of the risks and knows what they need to do to help mitigate them.
Cybersecurity should be a regular part of your business conversations and you should regularly review your security plan to make sure it is still effective. Additionally, you should invest in the training and resources needed to keep your employees up-to-date on the latest threats.
By making cybersecurity a priority, you can help ensure that your business is better protected against the ever-changing landscape of cyber threats.