Not only can cybersecurity issues slow your business down, but they can also put you in a position where you need to rebuild your reputation from the ground up all over again. As such, cybersecurity should be among your top priorities moving forward, especially if your business operates entirely online.
With that in mind, here are some simple (yet effective) ways in which you can protect your digital business.
- Don’t Assume You Are Too Small to Be a Target. Many small business owners assume that they do not need to invest heavily in cybersecurity, as they are not a significant target. However, many hackers choose to focus on SMES because they are aware of the owner’s oversight in this regard. Furthermore, having strong cybersecurity policies in place now means that you’re in a good place when it comes to growing and scaling your business, as you already have access to the tools and supplies you need to thrive.
- Be Aware of the Common Threats Online Businesses Face. In order to put plans in place to protect yourself from cybersecurity threats, you need to know how these threats present themselves. This typically includes malware, viruses, phishing attacks, and DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. You should also make sure that your employees are aware of these threats, too. After all, they are the ones who are most likely to fall victim to them through their day-to-day operations, meaning that they must be as vigilant as possible moving forward.
- Invest in Cybersecurity Software. Following this, you should make sure that you start investing in cybersecurity software that will provide you with the kind of coverage and protection you need moving forward. This is an area that is worth investing in, especially when you consider the potential losses of failing to do so. Many companies will offer free trial periods of their software, which can give you much greater peace of mind when it comes to spending your money.
- Run Penetration Testing. Penetration testing refers to the process of testing cybersecurity measures via simulated attacks. This way, you can identify any chinks in your armor before you fall victim to an attack, providing you with much greater peace of mind moving forward. It also means that you can continue to ensure you’re going above and beyond when it comes to protecting your business.
- Change Your Passwords Regularly. Changing your passwords regularly is also key to keeping your online business safe. This is because it ensures that your data is protected, especially during a period of employee turnover or more specific targeted attacks on small businesses. Ideally, passwords should be changed every six months.
- Make Sure You purchase the Right Business Insurance. Business insurance policies can provide you with protection and security in a wide range of scenarios, including times in which you may have fallen victim to a cybersecurity attack. For this reason alone, you should be sure to review potential policies carefully before agreeing to them, to ensure that you get the coverage you need.
- Back Up Your Data Regularly. Data loss can have a catastrophic impact on your business. As such, you should be sure to back up your data regularly to prevent costly and damaging losses, whether they are caused by cyberattacks, technology failures or even human error. Ideally, you should back up your data multiple times a day, especially when you are working on important projects. You should also ensure that all of your data is safely encrypted to prevent unauthorised personnel from accessing it.
Final Thoughts
Running a business online has many benefits. For example, it allows you to promote your products or services to a global audience, as opposed to targeting a smaller, local market. In addition to this, it is often much cheaper than running a brick-and-mortar business. However, it is not without its challenges, either.
After all, when all of your processes are carried out online, cybersecurity issues can lead to a wide range of problems that are hard (if not impossible) to recover from. For example, 66% of consumers state that they would not trust a company again after a data leak.
Fortunately, there are many steps that you can take to protect your business from falling victim to this kind of issue. This includes familiarising yourself with the common cybersecurity issues, carrying out regular penetration testing, and backing up your data on a daily basis.
If you’re not sure where to get started, the advice outlined above will help you get on the right track.
