Online businesses of all shapes and sizes, listen up! Are you doing everything possible to protect your data and private information? If the answer is no, it’s time to put some methods in place. Those who operate on the world wide web need to be aware of all the viruses, malware, and cybercriminals out there whose aim is to infect your network and wreak havoc!
If you’re not careful, your customer’s personal details and financial information could be passed into the wrong hands. Thankfully, there are bulletproof measures you can implement that will protect your online company against cybercrime. Take a look at our suggestions below.
Raise Cybersecurity Awareness
Employees, executives, and senior management can’t be expected to keep their operations safe without knowing what and where the cybersecurity threats are. As a business head, it’s your job to raise cybersecurity awareness, so everyone within the company knows what actions to follow to keep data and information safe. All it takes is one rookie error which could turn into a cyberattack. The best way to keep your team in the know is through regular training. There are cybersecurity courses employees can partake in that will provide useful knowledge and techniques on all things cybercrime.
Back Up Your Information
It’s essential that you protect your primary systems. This means backing up your information. Those who haven’t applied the same defences to their secondary data sources can mean any hard work will come undone. You need to consider your entire digital footprint and put methods in place around everything. Remember, cybercriminals are always coming up with new ways to hack systems, so should you find yourself a victim of a cyberattack, knowing you’ve backed up your information and housed it somewhere else will mean you won’t lose your entire operation.
Call In the Experts
While there are lots of measures you can put in place yourself to protect your online business against cybercrime, those who aren’t tech-savvy may benefit from calling in the experts. For example, you can benefit from tailored IT solutions with Totality Services. This IT support London provider has many years of experience in cybersecurity. They can be there at your beck and call to keep your business safe and out of the hands of cybercriminals.
Protect Your Social Media Accounts
Many business owners forget that having social media platforms adds to their organisation’s cyber vulnerability. You need to make sure that you’ve got social media procedures, policies, and defences in place. While cybercriminals may not be able to access your financial data and systems directly, they can cause a major disruption to your business if they infect your social media feeds. What’s more, this can damage your business reputation and put followers off.
Update Your Operating Systems
This tactic can be difficult, particularly for the public sector. However, the significant effect of the WannaCry attack on the NHS a couple of years ago showed that outdated systems are a flaw that cybercriminals will use for their gain. One of the best things you can do today is to update your operating systems. Sure, it will take time and patience to do so, but when it comes to protecting your online business, this step is a must.
Use Strong Passwords
While it may sound like an obvious suggestion, you’ll be surprised at how many online businesses use easy passwords for their accounts. You need to remember that you’ve got a database of customers’ personal information that they certainly don’t want passing around. To add more protection, using strong passwords is key. We don’t recommend ‘password123’ either. Instead, use a mixture of letters, numbers, and symbols. If you’re worried about forgetting a password, simply write it down on a notepad and keep it hidden in your desk drawer. Make sure your team follows suit and uses hard-to-crack passwords too.
Be Wary of Emails
If there’s one task all businesses perform on a daily basis, it’s reading and responding to emails. Whether it’s your own inbox or employees, being aware of phishing is essential. Phishing attacks are on the rise and can cause extensive damage to your business operation. This is when a target or targets are contacted by email, text message, or phone by somebody posing as a legitimate institution to get individuals to provide sensitive data like personally identifiable information, credit card, banking details, and passwords. One of the best ways to stop a phishing attack from occurring is to always check the sender’s email address.
Whether you’ve just launched an online business or have been in the game for many years, all your hard work deserves the ultimate protection. Unfortunately, cybercriminals and attacks aren’t going to disappear overnight. But, there are steps and strategies you can follow to add an extra layer of protection to your online business.
