Why cyber security should be a priority for every business
When you’re starting up a new business or managing a business on a limited budget, it can be tempting to cut costs in areas where you don’t see an immediate return. But when it comes to keeping your business safe, you really can’t afford to cut back on cyber security.
What is cyber security?
Cyber security is the way that businesses keep themselves safe from cyber/online attacks. The vast majority of businesses these days have some kind of online presence which can make them a target of cyber crime. This could be cyber attacks that take control of a business website and prevent customers from accessing it. Or even hacking into databases and stealing private, personal details of customers and staff. Cyber attacks could also lead to theft from online bank accounts or using account details to make purchases. The purpose of cyber security is to protect devices and online accounts from falling foul of hackers and cyber criminals.
How to keep your business safe from cyber crime
As a business owner, you have a responsibility to your customers and any employees to keep their details safe and it’s your duty to make sure you secure your business as much as possible in order to minimise the risk of cyber attacks.
Take up regular training
Even the most tech savvy business owner may need a little help to ensure that their business is as secure as possible. Thankfully, there are companies offering cyber security training for businesses of all sizes. On these training courses, you can learn the basics of how to keep your business safe in the online space.
As technology is always developing, it’s really important to regularly update your knowledge as hackers and cyber criminals will always try to be one step ahead of you. Take a look at the TryHackMe blog where you can read regular updates and news about the world of cyber crime and pick up tips on how to keep your business safe. In the run up to Christmas, you can also take advantage of their Advent of Cyber where they will share free cyber security training resources each day from 1st December.
Consider hiring a dedicated team
As your business grows, it’s likely that your security needs will become more complex. If your budget allows, then it might be the time to employ a dedicated cyber security team to make sure your business is kept as safe as possible from potential cyber threats. Make sure that you check out the qualifications of any potential staff members and follow up on their references to ensure that you’re only employing well-trained, trustworthy people who you can trust with the security of your business.
Keep passwords safe and update them regularly
Stolen passwords are one of the most common forms of cyber theft that can lead to stolen identity or theft from bank accounts. Make sure you keep your passwords safe and change them regularly. You can use a secure password manager to do this.
It’s also important not to use the same username and password across multiple accounts. If one is compromised, then a criminal could access all of your accounts. Having a different username and password for each account makes it harder for criminals.
Implement bandwidth optimization
Bandwidth optimization is the process of maximizing the efficiency of network bandwidth usage by reducing the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over the network. This can be achieved through a variety of methods, such as caching frequently accessed content, compressing data, and reducing network congestion.
Proxies can help with bandwidth optimization by caching frequently accessed content. When a user requests content from a website, the proxy server can cache a copy of that content on its local storage. If another user requests the same content, the proxy server can serve it from the cache instead of downloading it again from the website. This reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over the network, improving network performance and reducing the risk of denial-of-service attacks. If you’re interested in trying out proxy servers to explore bandwidth optimization, there are many free options available online. These free proxy servers can be a good way to get a feel for how proxies work and how they can help with bandwidth optimization.
Set up two factor authentication (2FA)
Many online banking accounts and websites offer two factor authentication (2FA) to ensure that your accounts are kept as safe as possible. With 2FA, you will need to prove that you are who you say you are every time you log in by entering both a password and usually a code that’s sent to you. You can get 2FA apps on your mobile devices that will generate a code each time you try to log in and you will only gain access to your account after successfully entering both your password and the unique code.
Most businesses won’t automatically require that you use 2FA, so you’ll need to activate it yourself. It’s a good idea to use it for your email accounts too since criminals could try to use your email address to reset your passwords. 2FA will stop them in their tracks and keep your accounts safe.
Cyber crime can cost businesses big money and put customer details at risk, it’s really not worth cutting corners when it comes to protecting your business in the online world. The size and budget of your business will determine what level of security you’re able to put in place, but it doesn’t cost anything to set up 2FA and change your passwords regularly. Even quick and simple actions like these will make a big difference to the security of businesses of any size.
*This is a collaborative post.
