Nowadays, hackers are increasingly targeting small companies. Most small business owners think that, since their company is small, they will not be targeted by hackers, however, attacks on small companies are quite common, and they are increasing. Businesses that are small are made easy targets and attacks on these companies can be quite profitable for hackers. No one, especially small business owners should take cybersecurity lightly. A successful cyber attack can be catastrophic for your company and, some companies do not even manage to bounce back from it. With this in mind, here is a list of some cybersecurity tips and tricks for small businesses, and keep in mind that they will improve security and are easily implemented. Let’s take a look:
1. Implement a firewall
A firewall is a solution that will lie between your business network and the outside world. It will prevent unauthorized people from accessing your network and the stored data. Of course, not all firewalls are equal. However, by investing extra money into a next-generation firewall is often regarded as a good investment. To learn more about how to test a firewall, we suggest checking out the Firewall Guide. Keep in mind that you should also protect remote workers by making sure they are protected by the firewall as well.
2. Create and Enforce a password policy
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A strong password policy should be implemented within your company and all employees should have a secure and strong password. A unique password should be used for all devices and systems. The passwords should include capital letters, lower-case letters, a number, a special character, and should be at least 10 digits long.
3. Security awareness training
You should make sure that you provide your employees with regular security awareness training. This is most likely the only way that you can teach them the security basics, such as safe Internet use, creation of passwords, mobile device security, and how to handle important data.
4. Multi-Factor Authentication
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This method involves the use of a strong password, as well as at least one other method of authentication. If any login credentials are compromised, an additional method will be required in order to gain access to network or account. This method might include receiving a text message or an email to the user’s smartphone or PC.
5. Backups
It is necessary for a company to have a good backup policy. In the event of a natural disaster or a cyber attack, you will need to (and want) to be able to recover the most important data. In order to know if the files can be recovered, you will need to test out the backups. Do not wait until something happens to test whether the information can be recovered or not. According to the experts from Elevate Services Group, one of the best methods is the 3-2-1 approach. You will have three backup copies, on two different media types, with one copy stored securely offsite.
6. Secure Wi-Fi Networks
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If you have a wireless network set up at your company, you will need to protect it! Make sure that it is secured, that the data is encrypted, and that it is hidden and that the network does not broadcast its SSID. If possible, use WPA2 or WPA3 for encryption. Also, make sure that your router cannot be accessed from the outside and change the default password.
Conclusion
As you can see, these were some of the tips and trick that every small business owner should implement into their company’s cybersecurity network. If you did not implement these tips, do not waste any more time and start planning your perfect cybersecurity strategy.
