Collaborative post:
There is one big downside to the world going digital, and that’s hackers. Hackers are those who break through firewalls of IT systems just to dive in and steal data and information. If you turn on the news, you can see how dangerous the world is becoming, and the digital world is no different. There are companies all over the world looking for a way to protect themselves from hackers and failing as a result. It’s one of the most important things that people need to consider when they are running a business.
Without the right protections, your brand new business baby is going to be open and vulnerable to attack. If you need proof, just look at the ransomware attacks that crippled companies in 2021. Seeing the risks, understanding your vulnerabilities and providing cyber security training is all you need to ensure that your business remains safe. Malware can spread rapidly and it can encrypt your servers and ensure that you never get into your information again. What you need is to protect yourself. The hackers will always continue to hack, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t keep yourself safe. How do you do it? Check out the tips below!
- Apply security. Your business needs to have the most up to date software to be compliant and if you want to ensure that your business is secure from hackers, security is needed. The right programs, the right firewalls and the best experts can all come together to ensure that your business is protected. Without staying on top of it, your business is continuing to be at risk. Start with the basics of good IT support, and then add SSL (secure sockets layers) to keep customer information safe. Next, add firewalls, software scanners and more to keep a wall that hackers just can’t get through.
- Secure your Wi-Fi. Unsecured Wi-Fi is a white flag to a hacker. They see it and they dive in – and why not? They see the gap in your security and they capitalise on it, and it’s your fault that you didn’t look after your wi-fi in the first place. You can avoid this being a problem by securing your wi-fi and keeping it under lock and key. You can rely strictly on wired networks, but this isn’t as versatile as a wi-fi network that people can tap into. The best thing to do is to ensure that you add security and then work on keeping passwords regularly changed.
- Add anti-virus. As well as a protected internet connection, you need to have good antivirus software. There are so many programs that will protect your business from malicious ransomware attacks, and you can have these implemented as early as possible to ensure that your network is secure.
- Training is a must. Cyber security training is going to be one of the best things that you can do for your business. Eliminating human error is an important factor of educating your employees, and it’s important to be careful of the gaps in knowledge that could end up causing issues. Your employees have to be as careful with the security of the business as they are the locks on the doors, and the only way this will work is with the right training.
- Encrypt your data. Hackers are only focused on two things: creating as much chaos as they can, and thieving data or money. If you have any unsecured data in your business, they will find the loophole to get into it and you will end up losing everything. If you encrypt your data and the data of your customers, though, they cannot just steal it. Any data that isn’t transmitted over the internet, has to be encrypted as much as possible. The wrong kinds of hackers are those who will continue to try but if encryption is present, they will stop trying to get into your systems.
- Hire the experts. Lastly, hire experts to help you with your cyber security. The right team in place will ensure that you get your business information protected as much as possible, and you will have your systems monitored and able to take on anything. Your business has to keep an eye on the types of hackers out there – or you could end up with absolutely nothing left. Hackers will always try to hack small businesses, medium businesses and larger businesses. You don’t have to let them – and now you know how to avoid them all.
Sarah x
