As a small business owner, you invest time and energy into making your entrepreneurial enterprise a success. The last thing you want is for a malicious cyberattack to derail your efforts. Unfortunately, cyberattacks against smaller companies are more common than you might realize. According to CNBC, cybercrime costs businesses $200,000 on average. In some cases, this financial blow is enough to put a company out of business.
TechTrone IT Services is dedicated to providing small business owners with the IT services and educational resources they need to avoid these disastrous outcomes. This article provides a quick guide on must-know facts for entrepreneurs.
Installing updates on devices
Your business likely relies on many different devices from smartphones to laptops, wireless printers, tablets, and more. While wireless technology is convenient, it is also vulnerable to external attacks. Emory University provides tips for keeping these appliances secure. For starters, always update your technology when prompted. Software updates often contain security patches designed to address existing security gaps. If you don’t install them, your device will be an easy target for cyber threats.
Keeping your internet connection safe
You probably already have a password set on your WiFi network. While this is a great first step to protecting against online attacks, there’s more you can do. Wired recommends also keeping your firmware up-to-date and disabling remote access, universal plug-and-play, and WPS capabilities. If you want to provide customers with WiFi access, set up a separate network for them to use. Further, make sure to update your router password regularly.
Setting up fool-proof passwords
Strong passwords are critical to maintaining both device and WiFi network safety. CyberNews has tips on creating strong passwords that will be tough for others to crack. They recommend using a password manager like NordPass to help create and store passwords securely. In general, aim to make passwords at least 12 characters long, with a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.
Backing up documents safely
From employee social security numbers to customer payment details, your business handles all kinds of sensitive information every day. You want to ensure that the documentation containing such details is securely stored and backed up. The Balance Small Business explains that data backup is also crucial for continuity in case a cyberattack or other incident jeopardizes your paperwork. TechTrone offers reliable and cost-effective backup and disaster recovery solutions.
Creating clear cybersecurity policies
As a business owner, it’s important that you familiarize yourself with the above cybersecurity information. However, you also want to make sure that your employees have access to this knowledge. Creating clearly written cybersecurity policies can help. BetterTeam provides a template you can use to draft your in-house guidelines. This document should be provided to all new workers and updated regularly. It can cover everything from how to create a great password to where and how documentation should be backed up.
