Hackers are people or organizations that use computers to obtain unauthorized access to data. Security hackers, in particular, will look for weaknesses in business networks for financial gain.
Many business owners never think they will become victims of a hacking attempt, but it happens more than you think. Thankfully, you can reduce the risk of your business being affected by taking the following steps.
Outsourcing Your IT Services
You might believe you’re more than capable of handling your own computer systems, but when you outsource IT services to an MSP, you benefit from years of expertise and some of the best protective software in the industry.
Managed IT service providers can maximize your system’s performance, protect your network against cyber threats, provide convenient cloud services, and even offer automated backup and disaster recovery services in the event of an unprecedented cyber-attack.
While you perform your daily operations, someone else can take care of all the behind-the-scenes work to keep your business safe from cyber threats. Essentially, you won’t need to lift a finger.
Train Your Staff
Unless you take active steps to inform your employees about the dangers lurking on the internet, there’s no guarantee they’ll know those dangers exist. The internet can be a wonderful place to learn new things and perform essential business tasks.
However, it can also link your business to a network of criminals seeking sensitive information to bring your company to its knees.
Set policies for protecting business information, provide best practices for creating passwords and implementing multi-factor authentication, and teach your team how to spot suspicious emails.
The more your employees know about cyber attacks, the more confident they can be in avoiding them.
Use Up-to-Date Software
Updating software can be frustrating. It can seem like as soon as you install one update, another is waiting in the wings, ready to take more of your time.
As frustrating as they are, software updates are essential for providing an additional layer of protection against new threats.
For example, failure to update your software might allow hackers to break through your network’s defenses and take valuable company information. This is the last thing you want, so when those update notifications come in, be sure to accept them.
Invest in Security Packages
Running a business is expensive, and you might see security packages as an unnecessary cost since they add nothing to your average working day. However, having the most secure system might prevent cyber criminals from causing significant financial hardship.
At a minimum, consider a secure sockets layer (SSL) to protect user information, a web application firewall for protection between your data connection and website, and scanners to regularly scan software and websites for malware, viruses, and bad code.
Anti-malware and anti-virus programs are also vital as they protect your business against ransomware attacks, spoofing, email phishing, and more.
Secure Your WiFi Network
Hackers frequently drive around in their cars using high-powered antennas to scan for poorly protected or unprotected networks. If they find what they’re looking for, they’ll target your finances, passwords, and finances.
Wired networks are undoubtedly more secure, but many businesses need WiFi for flexibility.
In that case, you can gain a layer of protection for your internet connection by disabling the service set identifier (SSID) to hide your network and make it invisible to WiFi snoopers.
There might not be any way to protect your business against all cyber attacks, but you can certainly prevent most of them. Take the actions above, and your business should be far more secure than you thought possible.