As small businesses enter 2023 with high expectations and promises for success, one of the resolutions they must make is to invest in cybersecurity. At a time when cybersecurity solutions strive to be advanced to combat all possible attacks and dangers, hackers devise novel ways to breach such security barriers, leaving small businesses vulnerable to paying a hefty ransom.
Here are ways small businesses can prepare for cybersecurity in 2023 to begin the year prosperously and to plan a year of progress and success.
Building a Cyber Security Framework
In an increasingly digitalized business operation, companies must develop a work culture that is prepared to recognize and deal with cybersecurity breaches and incorporate tools and resources that enable them to recover from the situation quickly. It is a culture that must be imbibed as an inherent part of the business, with each individual having a role to play in the smooth management of cybersecurity. If the system is prepared for cybersecurity breaches, the people involved will follow the lead.
Installing Antivirus Protection and Firewall
Preparing the system for cybersecurity involves safeguarding the networks and devices that are the source of the organization’s susceptibility to a security breach. Installing antivirus software (AVS) and firewalls is an inevitable part of keeping your business’s network secure. Antivirus software detects and eliminates any dangers to your company’s network, computer systems, or gadgets. Installing antivirus software alongside a firewall provides comprehensive protection against harmful malware and cyber threats. The hardware is protected by antivirus software, while a firewall protects the network on which the hardware is running.
Maintaining Updated Software
With the increasing and creative ways hackers are attacking networks and systems, cybersecurity solutions are also innovating regularly to be a step ahead of the cyber attackers. As a result, businesses must keep track of their software and update it regularly to ensure a safe and secure company network and systems. However, keeping the system updated is where most businesses fail. To tackle this situation, company devices must be developed only to function if they are completely updated.
Incorporating Multifactor Authentication
Along with keeping the network and system secure, organizations must ensure who has access to which company resource. Hence, a multifactor authentication that requires employees to verify their identity before accessing the resources must be installed. This ensures that certain areas of the network that are confidential or the property of a specific department are not accessible to the entire workforce. In addition, using such step-by-step authentication minimizes the chance of a breach because it takes time to crack the strong password at each point.
Creating Strong Passwords
Using multifactor authentication requires the creation of strong passwords to gain access to the company’s resources. When asked to make passwords, most users choose overused ones such as birthdays or anniversary dates. However, when constructing passwords for enterprise networks, it is critical to include more than 8 characters, containing at least one number, symbol, and capital letter. In addition, password management must be done with caution to avoid documenting and saving them online, which increases the ease of access to passwords and the susceptibility to cyber breaches.
Training Employees
Training employees to tackle cybersecurity threats is just as crucial as installing and integrating software and passwords into your business network. To avoid loss, organizations must establish a comprehensive course that is provided to staff at the time of hire to train them to detect a hacking strategy and handle it effectively. These hacking approaches may come from malicious emails or links that may cause damage to the company network.
Enabling Cloud Security
Small businesses are increasingly turning to cloud computing to optimize their digital operations. Though these solutions provide small businesses with access to various tools and resources at an affordable cost, they are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. As a result, businesses must deploy cloud security to safeguard their networks from external and unknown dangers. Though cloud solution providers take care of the platform’s security needs, business owners must take security steps on an organizational level to increase data security.
Ensuring Data Protection
A hacker is behind data and information. It is a critical component of a business’s operation, and a breach might result in the company’s closure. As a result, business owners must prioritize data security, which is critical to their company’s future. Businesses can safeguard their networks from data breaches by installing antivirus software, developing enterprise standards such as multifactor authentication, and taking other verification steps. This will help limit the number of vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit.
Regular Backing up of Data
The fear and threat of a cyberattack are that once data is lost, it is lost forever. Unfortunately, most small firms do not back up their data, making them more susceptible when a hacker demands a ransom. In addition, most ransomware attacks include locking you out of your computer, phone, or device and refusing to let you back in unless you pay a large sum. Hence, companies must make it a part of their company routine to back up their data to a secondary place.
Not Accessing Unauthorised Services
Employees must take care when accessing company-related information. They must be cautious about the systems they use, the place they access the internet, and the Wi-Fi to which they are connected. Public or open Wi-Fi is the most convenient way for hackers to access systems and networks. As a result, employees should only use free Wi-Fi if they are confident in the antivirus software installed on the system and its ability to combat external cyber threats.
Prevention is better than cure is the apt motto for cybersecurity. Small businesses must devise strategies to avoid cyber breaches, which can be so devastating that there is no cure. Small firms operate on a small scale with few resources, and a cyber attack is something they cannot afford, ultimately leading to their collapse. As a result, to avoid cyber attacks, ransomware, stress, and pressure, small businesses must work proactively by providing the necessary protective safeguards and training staff for a comprehensive and secure workspace.
Small businesses are increasingly adopting digital tools and resources. To read more about the advantages and threats of these digital incorporations, subscribe to CanadianSME Small Business Magazine https://lnkd.in/dbqmSKN. For the latest updates, visit our Twitter page at @canadian_sme.
