Many SMES (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) have poor cybersecurity practices or policies in place, if they even have them at all.
This is because smaller business owners tend to assume that they are not the direct target of hackers, believing that they are more likely to “go after” larger corporations and entities. However, the truth is that this is rarely the case. For example, a recent study from Salford University found that 43% of cyberattacks target SME businesses. This is often because they do not have the infrastructure in place to protect themselves or their data.
This opens the door to a wide range of problems. After all, following a data leak of any severity, you have not only ‘lost’ critical data, but money, and likely custom, too. It could also mean that the reputation you have worked so hard to build is in tatters. As a result of this, cybersecurity is something that small business owners must take incredibly seriously moving forward.
Not sure where to get started? Here are some top tips for improving your cybersecurity processes and protecting all-important data.
Choose a strong password. Though you may have heard this advice time and time again, choosing a strong password is one of the easiest ways to keep your business accounts and data safe. This is because hackers often use automated software that allows them to “guess” weak or simple passwords, such as the word “password” itself (something that 20% of people admit to using). You should also update passwords on a regular basis, and avoid using the same password across multiple different files and applications.
Assess the strength of your current practices. Regularly assessing the strengths (and weaknesses) of your current cybersecurity endeavours is also important, as this helps you to identify potential vulnerabilities before they are exploited. One way in which you can achieve this goal is by working alongside companies that offer attack surface management services. This means that they will export ASM data into vulnerability scanners to identify and evaluate potential risks on your behalf. The sooner you’re aware of these issues, the sooner you can do something about it.
Make sure that your team understands the threats they are up against. Technological advances mean that hackers are getting smarter (or, rather, getting access to better tools). This means that all employees should have a fundamental understanding of cybersecurity principles, so they know exactly what they are up against. After all, this means that they are then less likely to fall for phishing messages or other, similar scams. This is particularly important when you consider the fact that a growing number of data leaks are caused by human error.
Use technology to your advantage. It goes without saying that you should use cybersecurity software and technology on a regular basis. However, you should conduct thorough research ahead of time to ensure that you are partnering with companies or providers who have your best interests at heart and can be trusted to keep your private data confidential.
Right now, there’s a lot of talk surrounding the idea of using AI in cybersecurity. For example, this could be a valuable tool when it comes to monitoring using behavior (or who is accessing your files) and sending out alerts when suspicious behavior is detected. However, this is again something that you should research carefully ahead of time. The technology is relatively new, which means that there are still some challenges associated with using it that you must take into consideration.
Turn on two-factor authentication. Turning on two-factor authentication, especially when sensitive data is involved, is another great way to build upon your cybersecurity efforts. This is because it makes it much harder for unathoraized personnel to gain access to the locked data, documents and folders. This, in turn, will give you much greater peace of mind moving forward.
Final thoughts. In the past, cybersecurity was not considered a necessity when it came to running a business. However, in the current day and age, where we do nearly everything online, having strong cybersecurity policies in place is non-negotiable. Otherwise, you are leaving yourself (and your business) incredibly exposed – and should a leak take place, you’ll find it hard to bounce back.
Fortunately, there are many different ways in which you can enhance your cybersecurity efforts, protecting your business and giving yourself greater peace of mind moving forward. This includes regular ASM testing and turning on two-factor authentication.
Do you have any cybersecurity tips that other business owners could benefit from? Share them in the comments below!
